Broken: A Doctor Who Novel
by ceeare
Summary: A search for a kidnapped baby takes the Doctor to Regulus IV where he's kidnapped and brutally tortured. His salvation lies in the hands of a gentle young telepath who fights in secret to keep him alive. A desperate attempt to escape goes wrong. His mind and body broken how will he survive? Will he find justice or seek revenge. Follow the Doctor through his own personal hell.
1. Chapter 1 Planetfall

Even bundled against the bitter cold, a shiver ran through the Doctor as he stood on the snow covered knoll. A few hundred yards away, stood the group of empty buildings that to this day haunted his nightmares. The moisture in his breath froze with each exhalation. He scanned the surrounding landscape - looking for ... Looking for what exactly? Fresh snow made everything look so very clean. How could that be? How could the universe ever make this place clean? He glanced down at the small black object in his hands. Its lightness should have made it feel like almost nothing, but instead, it felt heavy, making his hand ache with its weight. For almost a minute, he fiddled with the thing, caressing it almost lovingly, ghosting his thumb over a small button, wanting nothing more than to push, but not yet. It wasn't time.

Somewhere behind him, a person stamped their feet against the frozen layer of snow. The sound snapped his attention back to the small group clustered around him. He'd almost forgotten they were waiting, watching to see what he would do. He loved them for coming, but their reason for doing so twisted his stomach.

He wondered why. _Do they think I'm going to fall apart?_

A girl stood beside him, just a mere slip of a thing - sweet, kind. She was watching too. He smiled lovingly at her, gently squeezed her hand, then handed her the object. He kissed the top of her head, whispered something that only she could hear and began walking away from the group ... toward the compound. His action caught the people behind him by surprise, bringing immediate nervous chatter and silly questions.

"What's he doing?"

"Where's he going?"

"Just stay here. I'll make sure he's okay."

_Do they think I'm deaf? Why can't they all just shut up?_ he thought. He picked his pace up to a trot, leaving the voices behind.

He headed for the second building, just to the left of the main house. Despite heavy snowfall during the night, the road had been cleared, making the journey easier. The closer he got to his target, the faster his hearts raced. He could feel them pounding in his ears. Sweat beaded on his forehead. How was that even possible in this cold? He dried his sweaty palms on his overcoat.

He was only a few feet from his target now. The thick walls of the concrete building were pock marked by explosions and laser fire, but otherwise virtually undamaged in the raid that night. One door had managed to remain on its hinges.

It only took a moment and then he was in front of the heavy wooden door. His hand on the knob, he leaned his head against the thick wood and forced himself to breathe deep to calm his racing hearts. He swallowed hard, forcing the contents of his stomach back down where it belonged. This was stupid: it was just an empty building. It meant nothing... should mean nothing.

_God, my head hurts_, he thought.

Someone came up behind him. He wrenched away from the unexpected hand on his shoulder.

_Why can't they leave me alone?_

He pushed the door back against the heavy build up of snow in the doorway letting sunlight stream in, casting long shadows ahead of him. Before he stepped into the long hallway, he took a deep breath. The cold air made the burning in his lungs worse. This place was empty now, but his senses were almost overwhelmed by the smell and echoes.

The damnable echoes.

Each leaden footstep down the quiet hallway made his body feel as if someone had strapped him into a cyber suit. He wanted to turn and run, but he took the next step and then the next. The shadows had odd shapes creating an even heavier air to the place.

He could still hear her voice. How was that possible?

He cast a nervous glance in the direction of the dozen rooms that lined the hallway. Some had their doors blown off the hinges. He only remembered one pain filled voice ever coming from those rooms.

Every step past seemed to take an eternity.

The hand was back. "Doc, you don't have to do this."

But he did. He did have to do this. What choice did he have?

Why can't they understand?

He said nothing as he pulled away, forcing himself to keep walking. The room he sought was next to the last on the right; its door stood open, beckoning him inside. It didn't look any different. Shouldn't it be different?

The moment he stepped in, the room began to swirl like a carnival ride that he'd rode once - back on Earth with Rose. It felt as if he were swimming through a sea of mud just to force his way into the middle. He stopped next to the wooden table, gingerly running his fingers across it's surface. Dried, dark spots still dotted the top. It was all here. How could it all still be here?

_Is that my dried blood?_

His brain hurt.

He tried so hard for so long to keep tight, careful control, but now - deep rage erupted up from the depths of his soul. He didn't feel the edge of the table in his hands or hear the wood as it shattered against the wall. He didn't feel the pain caused by the flying bits hitting against his skin when he grabbed a table leg, smashing what remained into nothingness. He didn't feel the hands that held him as he dropped to his knees, screaming. He remembered.

He remembered everything.

*******

By their twentieth stop, the TARDIS had grown tired of planet hopping. Regulus IV was now their 30th since Demons Run. Thief spent his days on each planet chasing lead after lead in search of baby Melody. Sometimes, he came so close that he swore he could hear the baby call for him. No matter how cautiously he tracked the woman, Kovarian's intelligence reports always tipped her that he was coming. The damn agents left him a half step behind his enemy. It was, with some pleasure that, he at least managed to make life difficult for Kovarian. She bounced all over the 42nd century while trying to shake his pursuit.

This time, they were on Regulus IV. The TARDIS landed gently, fully aware that exhaustion left Thief muddled and potentially careless. She wanted to ignore his wishes and prevent him from making this stop. If she wanted, she knew that she could strand him in the vortex forcing him to rest. He wouldn't like it, but she could still do it. He was upset enough though, and the TARDIS dutifully materialized on a rise above Borel, the governmental seat for the province of K'Bal. Shades of purples and gold tipped the region's trees. A chill in the air meant Autumn had come to this region of the planet. Since Thief was too distracted, she ran a quick environmental check, and then made sure his overcoat was in clear sight.

The Doctor sat on the jump seat under the console, slowly swinging back and forth, listening to his phone ring. He considered answering, but let it go to voice mail. He wasn't happy when the Ponds made him add that little feature, but now he was grateful. It made the whole not answering thing much easier. For the last few weeks, the Ponds knew every lead, every effort made to find their daughter. He honestly did try to keep his promise, but he wasn't fast enough. There weren't as many people afraid of him as Kovarian and the people she worked for. Today, he just didn't have it in him to disappoint them. He couldn't bear the sadness in Amy's voice.

This tip was dodgy anyway, picked up in a bar on a backwater asteroid in the Treveh system, known for catering to criminals. He did over hear gossip that someone was looking to get their hands on the TARDIS, but that just gave him a good laugh. The crucial lead described a human woman with a child, not hers, travelling in the company of well-armed guards. Finding Melody was all that counted. He had promised on his life and intended to keep it. The mere chance, it could be Melody outweighed his concern anyone would be stupid enough to steal his ship. After House, he made sure that would never happen again.

The phone went silent.

The Doctor stood up, rubbed his hands over his face in a vain effort to pull his head together, and set about putting new security protocols in place. Common sense told him the TARDIS was in no danger, but he was taking no chances with his oldest friend. After taping a holographic message for the Ponds, he apologised to his old girl and broke their link. He could feel her distress coming at him in waves.

"Better safe than sorry, eh," he whispered in a throaty voice when he headed out the door.

Opening the door sent a rush of crisp, cold air inside the ship making him reach for his overcoat. He stood next to the TARDIS surveying the township below. A bit of research showed Borel as a contemporary, bustling 42nd century town, home to off-worlders and native-born alike. The locals were humanoid with avian features. Feathers covered the tops of their heads and their bodies, leaving their faces and hands decidedly human in appearance. Wings lay neatly folded against their backs; most natives wore capes to cover them. The style started when the world first opened, with the teens wanting to blend in with off-worlders. It wasn't long before it became common.

The Doctor wandered through the town admiring the sleek, minimalist architecture that obviously catered to the needs of the native species. He couldn't help but give kudos to the local government for the enormous effort of keeping the entire landscape filled with trees. His research on the local community showed that few residents maintained gardens, relying instead on a lovely public parks system where they could safely fly. He ambled down a neighbourhood street, heading for the centre of town, noting the round homes high up on stilts that, undoubtedly, must have provided a race of flyers with a sense of security. Few natives would want to spend the night in the ground level buildings meant for the off-worlders. For the natives, the odd shaped buildings must seem a blight on the landscape.

Hover transports made their way through the streets, avoiding areas clogged by visitors in town for the local Harvest festival. Weaving his way through the crowded streets past vendors and festival goers made the Doctor's journey almost fun. He passed a young couple selling sun catchers that looked like the local constellation, and stopped to buy a couple for Amy. They'd look fantastic hanging in her kitchen window. He hoped the trinkets would serve as a reminder of the fun they all had before Pandorica.

The Pandorica.

Nothing had gone right after that - not really. The universe repaid the Doctor for the re-boot, by declaring a war that he didn't want or understand. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, he tucked the trinkets in his pocket and walked further on toward the H'rau district, in the centre of town.

The crowded district provided the con artist, thief or worse, the opportunity for business and a safe place for conducting it. Since Regulus IV opened up to off-worlders, the district had grown from humble origins as a local pain in the neck to the law, to a true haven for inter-galactic criminals. Information could be bought and sold with the same ease as Maldanion diamonds. In the old days, the canal offered an easy escape route for sea-faring criminals. Now, with transmat technology available, criminals thought they could come and go as they pleased. The increase in crime sparked the provincial government to install a state of the art monitoring system. It was for this reason the Doctor chose a little café off the canal to meet his contact. Heavily monitored by the local constabulary, the CCTV gave him, his best chance of showing up on someone's video screen if things went dicey. At least, that was the plan.

Weaving his way, through the crowd, he found the café just as the afternoon lunch crowd hit. The patrons spilled out to the patio, jostling for tables. Finding one inside proved difficult. It took twenty minutes before one with a clear view of both the front and rear exits opened up. Grabbing it, he sat down to wait for his contact. The man, a small, beady-eyed alien known as the Charmer came highly recommended for information about this planet in general and Borel in particular. The Doctor crossed his gangly legs, and waited for the man to show.

The Doctor hated waiting. This incarnation bordered on hyper. Within minutes, his foot began to tap impatiently. Thirty minutes later, getting rude looks from the management, he opted to get something to eat. The contact might still show. He couldn't afford to miss him because management threw him out for not ordering. So he ordered something that looked like chicken. At least he hoped it was chicken. Picking at it, he spent the next hour waiting.

Finally giving up, he left the café, angry that he wasted credits on a no-show, and a lousy lunch. The Doctor headed back out to the crowded street. A certain blue bar owner would definitely refund his money, and pay for the time he had wasted.

The bright afternoon sun reflected off the windows. Anyone outside without sun-shades probably regretted it. The Doctor certainly did, realizing within minutes that he was getting just a bit of a headache. He'd have to remember to take something when he got back to the TARDIS.

Another half block he was feeling properly sick. He should have known better than to eat lunch in a dive. He managed another two blocks before the waves of dizziness and nausea hit again. He leaned against a brick wall, closed his eyes, and waited for the dizziness to pass. His stomach churned and threatened to erupt.

_God I'm bloody thick_, he thought whilst leaning against the wall.

The last Time Lord, so-called champion of the universe, couldn't tell when something tainted his food. How pathetic was that? What the bloody hell did they stick in that chicken? The Doctor pushed away from the wall and started walking. He had to get back to his ship. He managed another block, reaching out occasionally for support before realising, he was in big trouble. It was getting difficult to think coherently. He couldn't recognize what they used.

He should ask someone for help, but the words wouldn't form in his head. Pain pounded in his temples. He managed to stay on his feet for another three minutes before the dizziness forced him once again to lean against the wall of an abandoned store front. He tried to bring the faces of the crowd into focus. They were all a blurred sea, laughing at him. The sounds of the district roared in his head. His stomach churning, he gulped air to keep it from erupting. He felt as if he'd climbed Mount Lung. Unable to stand, he slid down the brick wall barely aware that strangers hands grabbed him. His last coherent thought, as the hands pushed him into a ground transport, were about River. How was he going to explain his stupidity to her? How was he going to explain ignoring the warnings?

River would be really, really cross.


	2. Chapter 2 A Child Lost

"Oi... Lights off, " the Doctor muttered to his ship. " Now - please. " He groaned. The Doctor rolled clumsily onto his side. His head pounded right behind his right eye. This was his worst headache in years. This must be what it felt like to be totally pissed. He'd never been totally pissed. He was going to have such a word with Sexy for refusing to turn the lights off. It was several seconds before he realised this wasn't the TARDIS, but someone's cell and he was -lying on a concrete floor - again. His headache was compounded by the intense white light that bathed the room.

Blimey, don't these people have to pay a light bill.

His only reward for opening his eyes was the .nausea that threatened to erupt from the depths of his stomach. He ignored the pain that shot through his temples when he turned back over. Using a bow tie for sunglasses wasn't perfect, but it was better than burning his retinas. With h is eyes clenched tight, he wrapped the tie around his eyes, leaving just enough uncovered to see.

Once the blinding light was under control he ignored the headache, and pushed to his knees and then to his feet. He waited until the dizziness and nausea passed before making his way around the edge of a concrete block room. This was undeniably a cell. What he was doing in the cell remained the question. Whom he ticked off came in an extremely close second.

Careless was rapidly becoming his middle name. Careless, thick and old. What the bloody hell was wrong lately ? Why didn't he pay closer attention to his surroundings? An inner check told him the so-called Chef had managed to drug him. What the man used was another question. Not, since, the vespiform managed to put cyanide in his drink had someone managed to slip something in his food. At least this wasn't poison, just something to knock him on his Time Lord arse. He leaned his head back against the wall wishing he had a pitcher of water and a banana.

Once his head cleared, he assessed his situation. Both his coats were gone. That meant they had his screwdriver, psychic paper, a few assorted Jammy Dodgers and the TARDIS key. He was glad now, the link was cut, and he'd left her invisible. All he had to do was put up with stupid cell for a few days, and she'd return to Amy. This should be a piece of cake.

Without his coat, he was cold. That was weird, he shouldn't be cold. It had to be exceptionally cold in this place for him to feel it. They'd taken his boots, as well, which was more than bit rubbish. He liked those boots. He'd gotten them after losing his favourite pair to the acid on ganger's island. Now that was a trip. Programmable flesh turned monster killed by programmable flesh. Anyway - these new ones had just started getting comfortable, especially around his toes.

He edged his away around the room trying to find a weak spot, but there wasn't one. Even if he had his screw driver it would take an eternity to resonate the concrete enough to make a hole. Finally, he leaned back, rested his foot against the wall and tried to look nonchalant. They were watching him. He could feel their presence, like a prickly itch on the back of his neck. He knew they must be feeling particularly brilliant just as he was feeling old and thick. Thick didn't cover it. To ignore all your instincts, and walk into a trap was beyond stupid. When would he ever learn ?

"I know you're there," he finally called out to the kidnappers that he knew must be watching. " What do you want ?"

"Feeling better, Doctor ?" The voice belonged to a woman, sweet, dripping with mock sincerity. It reminded him of Kovarian. He wondered if there might be a school for psycho female kidnappers on some planet that he'd missed. Maybe they all got eye patches as graduation presents.

"Fine, thank you. You have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but you haven't told me, yours." He kept his voice calm. Being angry now would serve no purpose.

"All in good time, Doctor, after you have given me what I want."

"OK, well, since you have taken my favourite boots, my coat and my jacket, I'm not sure how I can help you. I would like my coat back. It's a bit chilly, and while you're at it, mind turning the lights down a bit?

"You are the funny little man aren't you ?" The voice had a cold laugh.

"Well, I have been told I have quite the gob. What do you want?"

"Your ship Doctor, I want your ship. " The answer came as cold as her laugh.

"What? I'm not sure I heard you. You want my TARDIS?" The Doctor stood away from the wall. "You want to what, go joy riding?" So much for ignoring stupid rumours. "Haven't done much research on me - have you? Sorry, but it's isomorphic, and its engines have been failing a bit. There's no joy riding allowed." His chuckle was mirthless. He'd have shaken his head in amazement, but his head hurt too much.

"Very funny Doctor, but you will give me your ship - and you will teach me to fly it."

"Hah, that's funny. " The Doctor laughed. " That's really funny. I needed a good laugh. Things have a bit been busy lately, lots of shenanigans. Love that word - she-na-ni-gans. There hasn't really been much to laugh about lately. Thanks for bringing a little humour to the day. Now that, you have cheered me up, I'll just get my coats and boots and be off. " He paused for a long minute. " No answer, hey. Of course not, that would be too easy. "

The Doctor slid back down the wall and put his head on his knees. He still wanted to be sick, but he could live with it. This was just what he needed to give his already dull, uneventful, boring life a kick ; an insane woman out to get him. What was it with the women lately ? He understood why most of his enemies hated him. Over the years, he had thwarted the plans of many an alien race. But women ? Women liked him. How could all these women be so angry with him?

0

With three days of sitting in misery, the Doctor pretty much, learnt to ignore the dull headache that stubbornly sat behind his eyes. It had taken two days for the nausea to go away. The Doctor hadn't managed to figure out just what they had used when they spiked his food. Whatever it was, it should have cleared with little more than an annoyance. It was a bit disconcerting that he hadn't processed it out of his system. It was his Time Lord brain that was old, not his body. Maybe it was DNA constructed. That would mean someone had been following him, while he followed Kovarian.

Damn, life never used to be this complicated.

Bored out of his skull, he paced every inch of the cell on nearly an hourly basis. Jumping jacks, hopscotch even football with his socks eased some of the boredom. Sock football proved to be an entertaining game. Rolling them into a ball, he used a hole in the sidewall as the goal. By the end of his first practice, he managed to kick the sock ball to bounce of the hole nine out of ten times. Not much of a bounce though. How did humans do bored so well ? He was rubbish at bored.

Madam Nut Job had been quiet. He liked that term. Donna whispered it from the back of his mind. She would love that term. He decided to make it the voice's name in honour of his brilliant mate. Madam Nut Job rolled off the tongue. She was still watching though. He could feel her like a bug bite that just didn't go away. He hoped that she was enjoying the show. If she thought being alone, in a bright light without sound, would break him, she was sadly mistaken. He'd spent years alone. Three days were nothing.

Day four found him thirsty. His mouth felt like sandpaper. He'd gone longer without food or water, and while annoying, he could go for at least another week before it would become an issue. He focused on reviewing everything that had gone wrong over the last few months. What he needed was a plan. A well formulated plan that hopefully, would correct his mistakes.

Time passed amazingly slowly.

How did ordinary people stand it ? He was soooo bored.

Even trips down memory lane didn't seem to take all that long. A little surprising considering, he had excellent recall of at least 905 years. He was pleasantly surprised to know, some memories were actually quite pleasant. He could almost taste Cook's honey dipped dumplings covered in nuts. On cold, wintry mornings she would make a pan full just for his six year old mouth. He'd sit perched on the stool in the kitchen, and crush kona nuts while watching her bake. The memory helped him forget he was hungry.

When evening came, he turned his attention to meditating. The Dali Lama spent 6 months teaching him how to deal with the incredible guilt that he'd felt, after his year on the Valiant. His friends all thought that he'd bounced back after that year when, in fact, he wanted to crawl in a hole. The Doctor didn't expect anyone to understand how it felt to know the only other member of your species was insane. He didn't expect them to know how it felt to have your very best childhood friend show up alive, after years of believing him dead. He certainly didn't expect them to understand how he could forgive him for the carnage he created. He would never expect anyone to understand the depths of his grief over Koschei's death. They expected him to hate Koschei.

The only person the Doctor hated was himself. He should have been good enough and smart enough to find a way to help him in the years when they were still friends, before he became the tool of Rassilon. He failed Koschei, just as he had failed to save his world. Now here he was again, someone else's prisoner. He leaned back against the wall, crossed his legs, took a few cleansing breaths, and entered the meditative state he'd learned all those years ago.

On day five day, the voice came back ; all nauseatingly syrupy, and cold.

"Hungry Doctor? Maybe a cold glass of water?"

"No thanks, doing fine. Although I did have some Jammy Dodgers in my coat pocket, wouldn't mind a few of those ?" He was little surprised to find his voice a bit hoarse

"Where's my ship Doctor?" Her voice had a hard edge today.

"Haven't got a clue. Have you considered asking the local Constabulary? I'm sure they'd help you find it." The Doctor smiled, he still had it.

"Still the funny man Doctor?"

"Well, what can I say, it's a gift. " He kind of liked goading this woman.

"You will give me the TARDIS Doctor."

"Right - well, sorry to disappoint, but that isn't going to happen. " The Doctor was getting bored with this whole thing.

"Yes it will Doctor, sooner or later, I always win."

Silence followed. She was gone again. The Doctor leaned back against the wall and tried to return to meditating. He was getting bloody tired of people trying to take things from him. In fact, he was just simply bloody tired. Sitting here, doing nothing, he was knackered. He calculated how long it had been since he slept. He was surprised when he realised three weeks, four days, twenty-one hours and eighteen minutes had passed since he last slept. Well, he had been busy. He'd just take a short kip. That was what he needed, a short kip.

Try as he might he couldn't stop exhaustion from taking hold.

Almost immediately the dreams came. For once, they weren't even nightmares. He dreamt of Gallifrey before the wars ravaged its beauty. He dreamt of his father's estate on the side of Mount Lung, and the vast expanse of red grasses that surrounded their home. It didn't take long to sink into memories of being home. He lay on his belly next to Koschei watching a herd of hvok graze in the red grass meadow. Two seven-year-old boys, proud they had managed to sneak past their guardians, and make it to their spot without getting caught. The early morning mist still hung low, making it hard to see the smaller members of the herd. They lay giggling. It was fun to best the very people charged with their protection. It wasn't until months later ; the Doctor discovered the guardians had been punished for failing to keep an eye on the last child of Lungbarrow House.

The Doctor shifted in his sleep and rubbed his face. He dreamt of running from Brax, as he threatened to upend him in the estate pond. He stood on the other side of the pond, laughing when his brother couldn't catch him. One of his last happy memories of Koschei was in his friend's kitchen. They wrestled for his mother's dumplings, so sweet they'd melt in your mouth. He smiled in his sleep at his first snowball fight. It was with Susan, all those years ago when he had been exiled to Earth. The smile grew when he saw her lying in his arms while his son kissed her mother.

A child. A child was screaming. The Doctor jerked awake and was on his feet before he could even think.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?!" He yelled to the air.

"Tell me where my ship is Doctor, and it will stop."

"YOU BLOODY BITCH !" Ooh that was new ; he'd never called a woman a bitch before. He didn't even call Kovarian names, and she had stolen Melody. But this one. This one was hurting a child. She was hurting a child to take his TARDIS.

The child begged them not to hurt her. Its screams rose, and then fell when it was too breathless to go on, only to rise again. Her sobs pounded his hearts and ripped like a knife into his brain. They echoed off the walls into his ears. He threatened to make them pay.

The child continued to scream. He asked why they wanted the TARDIS, no one answered.

He offered a couple of free trips around the backside of time. The child wailed in agony, its voice raw from screaming. It seemed to last forever. Just as, he thought she stopped, the child would begin again. It went on all night. Was it night ? He wasn't sure anymore. He wasn't even sure that it was just one child.

Maybe it wasn't real, but it was. He could feel the child's presence and terror. She was real, and she screamed for her mother.

"I will stop you. No matter what it takes, I will stop you!"

The Doctor clenched his fists until his nails cut into his palms ignoring the blood in his palms. He screamed for them to stop until his voice gave out. How long could one child survive ? He slid down the wall, pounding his fists against his head, unable to shut the sounds out. Each scream cut into his gut like a hot knife. This one monster would find out why he had so many rules to control his behaviour. Right now, rule 452 had his full attention. It was a simple, straight forward rule: never kill a woman. He would dip his hands in her blood, or die trying. The child's desperate cries and pleas lasted hours, eventually growing weaker.

A new raw emotion began to make its self known. Powerlessness.

He had never felt that particular one before. On the Valiant, he held the power, and despite the Master's obscene, malevolent actions, he exercised the patience to use it. He held the power, and the guts to use it when he ended the war. He wasn't used to not having a plan, or the power to save a child. Seventeen hours, twelve minutes and forty-two seconds after her cries started, he heard her shuttering breaths slow and come to a stop. He heard the voice laugh.

They murdered a child to get his TARDIS.


	3. Chapter 3 Are You Ready to Play

The Doctor sat cross legged on the floor, h is back rigidly pressed flat against the cold wall. Every mental discipline that he had ever learnt in his long life was now in full force as he fought to keep his self-control. The light was gone now. They had plunged the cell into total darkness three hours after she stopped screaming, but he hadn't noticed. He wasn't sure how many hours had passed since then. He had shut down, appearing almost catatonic. At least that's what his captors thought.

It wasn't the first time his brain had shut down to allow him time to process a catastrophic event. The last time was at the close of the war. The moment he'd fired the weapon that destroyed his world, losing his connection to all those minds, he collapsed into a ball on the floor of the TARDIS and stayed that way for days while he processed the sudden quiet in his head. No matter where he was, he could always hear the chatter of his people. And then -in a nano second-it was all gone. All that background noise replaced by silence. He nearly went insane, as he lay badly injured on the cold floor with the ship changing around him. Days later, he gave in to the infections from his injuries and regenerated. It didn't help. The TARDIS finally took matters in hand and dumped him out on Earth. This time there was no TARDIS. Cold fury brought him back.

With reality edging its way back in, the Doctor tried to process exactly what had happened. Was it possible that nothing had actually happened ? _Yes_. Did he believe that ? _No_. The thought that a child had even potentially died, made him ill. Tears slid down his cheeks. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin there. What did this woman truly want ? His instincts told him that more was going on than Madam Nut Job just wanting his ship, but what? Why would she be so desperate that she'd even pretend to kill a child ?

What good were all of his rules and experiences if he couldn't control his anger and find some way to save a child ? Angry and ashamed of his failure, all he could do was wait and try to figure out the voice wanted. The owner of that voice had made a serious mistake. Obviously Madam Nut Job believed his reputation as a man of compassion. The woman had seriously miscalculated his reaction if she expected him to just turn over the keys to the TARDIS. She was wrong. These animals would never get near his ship.

The Doctor found himself smiling. By now the TARDIS would have followed her protocols and left the planet. When the Ponds cam, Madam Nut Job would pay. With help from Amy and Rory, he would bring this psychopath to justice or he would die trying. Of course, he just had to survive until help came. In the meantime, there was no doubt these people would beat the crap out of him.

He just had to make sure he won.

One hour, ten minutes and twenty-two seconds later the lights popped back on. The Doctor squinted against the onslaught of light to see two men entering his cells. They were dressed in grey military fatigues looking more like rejects from the Church's army than any official police force. He made sure that his usual cheeky grin was firmly planted on his face as he rose to his feet. He wasn't about to meet two morons any other way than standing. He ' d stared down dozens of aliens species over 900 years of life. This was no different

"Done torturing children, have you ? Your boss decided to let me go now, eh. " He couldn't stop wiggling the fingers of his right hand ; a nervous gesture he'd picked up in this regeneration. He needed to remember to work on silly gestures. He drew a breath, forced his anger under control, and smiled.

The moron walked up to him, a smirk on his face. "My Mistress wants her property," he snarled as he grabbed a handful of the Doctor's hair, sending the Doctor to his knees.

"Wish I could help her. She seems to have difficulty keeping track of her belongings." The Doctor hissed through clenched teeth. "Shame really, I understand forgetfulness is the first sign of senility. Correct medications and a quick trip to the good Sisters of the Schism will fix that right up."

The guard let go, but before he had time to enjoy the relief, the man kicked him, sending the Doctor sprawling in the middle of the floor. The guard and his cohort laughed as he walked over, grabbed another handful of hair, and pulled him to his feet. The Doctor spat blood as he held his ribs, and grinned back at the burly man.

He forced a laugh as he hissed painfully through clenched teeth " You really need to learn how to dance. I have a lovely friend; loves dancing. She will be glad to teach you. I'll just pop out to the parallel universe she's in and arrange a few lessons. " He barely finished the sentence before the guards meaty fist struck full force mid-chest. The force of the blow sent him back to his knees, gasping for air.

" My Mistress wants her property, little man, " the guard hissed, " and she's tired of waiting !"

The Doctor groaned. " Patience is such a virtue. " One look into the moron's eyes told him all he needed about the man. The look of enjoyment that was on the man's face a long with the glint in his cold eyes made his intent more than clear. The Doctor winced before the man's fist even connected with his jaw.

When he came to, the Doctor found himself hanging chained to a ceiling beam. "Really, this is the best you've got," he muttered to the air. He giggled as he tried to pull himself up enough to relieve the strain on his aching shoulders. Finding himself strung up like a side of meat on a planet 30 000 light years from Earth, chasing a child conceived in a time machine was - funny. Surely, in the 42nd century, they could come up with something a little more creative than this. What was it about chains evil-doers seemed to enjoy so much ? He worked his jaw, glad to find it wasn't broken. Time Lords might have increased bone density, but for some reason, nature stuck him with a glass jaw. It was-embarrassing. It was disappointing after a quick check of his internal clock to realize that they'd left him hanging unconscious for almost two hours. No wonder his shoulders ached so much.

"Welcome back, Doctor. Are you enjoying hanging around?" The voice was back, sounding as drippy as ever.

"What no minions today, or do you have them out kicking puppies and kittens. By the way, that laugh you have indicates a nasal problem. I should know, I'm the Doctor. You really should have that checked."

"Very funny, Doctor. I must admit you have provided a challenge. I did not think that you would be so resistant. You should know, though, I do not intend to give up. I will have your ship. "

"Well, you are entitled to believe what you want," he muttered more to himself than to the psychopath.

Another ten minutes had passed before the door opened. Expecting to see the burly guard from his cell, the Doctor was gob-smacked to see a girl. Human in appearance, and slightly built, she had short, curly, ginger hair and too much makeup for someone so young. She was pretty in a trampy sort of way. The kind of girl usually found trawling back alleys. He had to admit, he hadn't seen this one coming, a girl torturer with ginger hair. That was new.

The girl locked her eyes to his, and slid seductively up against him rubbing herself up the length of his body. She laid her head against his chest, murmuring something he couldn't quite understand, and ground herself against him while ghosting her fingers down his chest. She smiled when she felt him shudder at the delicate touch. She slid her fingers lower, tracing his manhood , murmuring admiration at the strength of his reaction. He giggled a little: sexual innuendo, even hanging from chains, embarrassed him.

"Do I get sexed to death for torture? I have to admit, this is a new one for me. Mind you, I have been around the block a time or two, well actually three or four; anyway I am open to new experiences," he called out to the woman watching. He felt her fingers trace around his back until she had gone full circle. His shirt already gone, she began to unzip his trousers, slowly letting them fall to the floor leaving him nothing but his y-fronts. Before stepping away, she traced and patted the shape of his manhood smiling at his reaction.

His voice squeaked when he tried to speak. " Really, didn't your mother discuss personal space with you ?" A picture of Jack getting sexed to death flashed across his mind causing him to grin at the girl. Maybe, when he saw him again, they could swap stories.

The tip of her tongue poked out as she ran it across her teeth in anticipation reminding him of Rose. As she stepped out of his line of sight, he fussed at himself - this was not Rose. He twisted, trying to see what she was up to, but couldn't't quite turn his head far enough.

"Are you ready to play, Doctor?" the drippy voice was back, ruining a perfectly seductive moment.

He looked for the speaker or camera that he knew was there, finally spotting a small hole in the right upper corner of the dingy grey wall. He smiled for the camera.

"I'm ready for tea. I love the whole girl/boy toy thing, you have going here. I have to admit. This is a new one; wasn't expecting this at all. Mind you; my jaw is still a bit sore. I don't think I'm up to the whole snogging thing - maybe later."

"Does your mouth ever stop ?" She sounded frustrated.

Score one for my side, he thought as he focused on flooding his system with endorphins. Frustrated people could be mean. "Not really. I have been told I have quite the gob."

The girl came back, tracing her fingers ever so gently around him, smiling. She had a Maledonian whip in her hands. The sight made him take a deep breath. The thing had nine tails, each tipped with an electrical point. The nasty thing was designed to send a current of electricity through muscles causing them to spasm uncontrollably.

Its creator made sure that the victim, at least, felt as if their muscles would tear apart. On its lowest setting, it immobilised its twitching victims much like Tasers on 21st century Earth. Depending on the setting, the pain of the target could be excruciating. On its highest setting, it would disrupt the heart's ability to beat. Potentially, it could kill the victim. This wasn't going to be pleasant, but they wouldn't kill him. Not yet anyway.

The girl circled like any predator toying with its prey. No matter what happened, he promised himself not to give these people the pleasure of hearing him scream. He hadn't controlled much lately, but he could control what came out of his mouth. As she moved, she flicked the whip. Sparks flew as the tips touched each other. His green eyes locked on her. He knew that she could feel his fierce determination to withstand the assault. She smiled when she turned the setting on the whip up a notch and moved out of his line of sight.

"Well then," he said softly, "I guess, I have one last thing to say. Geronimo," he spit defiantly as the whip sang out sparking as the tips landed across his back.

Spasms shot through muscles, that contracted and pulled at his arms until he thought they would dislocate. His lungs burned, and his hearts pounded in his ears. The whip sang out again, landing across his legs and bum, twisting him. His muscles screamed in pain as he felt them tear apart. He knew they weren't, but his body told him differently. The salt of his tears stung his eyes.

She circled, sending the whip against every part of his torso. H is screams should fill the room by now, begging for it to stop, but he just hung there. His jaws clenched tight enough to crack his teeth. Blood trickled from his mouth. He couldn't prevent the occasional small groan from escaping.

She stopped to watch him gulp air. He fascinated her. This was far from over, and he gulped more air to relieve the burning in his lungs. His head dropped to his chest as the spasms gave way to twitching: his screams should fill the roo m by now, begging her to stop, but still - he just hung there, with nothing more than a quiet moan. He ignored the taste of the blood in his mouth. Lifting his head slightly, he spit the blood out of his mouth.

"Cheeky girl," he gasped, still trying to make his lungs to work.

She circled him studying the burn marks left by the electrical charges. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she upped the whip another notch. She was at least mildly telepathic, he felt what she was thinking. If he didn't scream, she would at least wipe the grin off his face.

She sent the whip flying out against him repeatedly, not giving him time to recover. He did not scream. She walked back in front of him. The spasms and contortions stopped. He hung limp, barely able to lift his head, every muscle twitching. He still managed a slight grin despite the blood running from the corner of his mouth.

"I win," he hissed.

In frustration, the girl sent the whip out again and again, finally landing it across his abdomen one last time. Exhausted by her efforts, she dropped the whip on the table, and walked away, leaving him contorting. Blood ran down his arms from the cuts on his wrists caused by the manacles.

o0o

"River ?"

The name came out more of a groan than an actual word. He was dreaming. He must be dreaming. His head was on something soft and cuddly. His body still twitched, but the pillow was nice - and warm. He felt a hand brush gently against his forehead, pushing sweat-stiffened hair back from his face wiping dried spittle and blood away with a cold, wet flannel. The cold felt good on the bruises he knew were forming. His mouth felt full of mush, making it difficult to form intelligent sounds. His jaw was stiff, and it hurt. The person using the flannel was extraordinarily gentle. His eyes fluttered open to see a girl looking down at him. His first thought was to move away, but nothing worked. The slightest attempt sent spasms through his limbs.

"Shush, lay still, my Lord," she murmured softly as she continued to wipe his face. She laid her hand on his temple brushing her mind gently against his, trying to calm his concerns. Stunned that his shields were so weak, he pushed the intruder out of his head. He'd had enough of women lately He tried again to lift his head, but the movement proved too much for his still twitching muscles, sending them back into spasms. Whip girl had over used her toy. It had disrupted his neural pathways, leaving nerves misfiring with the slightest stimulation.

_Hush my Lord, I will not hurt you_, she whispered to his mind.

She wrung the flannel and moved on to wiping his chest and abdomen, letting the cold seep into his bruises. Pain shot through his rib cage when she wiped the flannel over his bruised ribs. The guard managed to crack at least one rib. Moving his wrists sent pain stabbing up his arms. She wrapped flannels around each wrist, letting the cold seep into the bruises for a just a few minutes.

"Who are you?" His tongue was three sizes too big for his mouth making his words hard to understand..

"I am K'Nar, my Lord. I have been sent to care for you."

"Why?"

"Why what my Lord ?" The girl was hardly more than a child, maybe thirteen.

"Why did she send you and why were you trying to muck around in my head ?"

"Don't be silly, Lord. I cannot - - muck about in your head, and I do not know why she is being kind, but she has ordered it, and I must finish. I will leave you as comfortable as I can. "

K'Nar swallowed hard as she prepared to clean the man the as the Mistress ordered. To have refused would have meant being punished, but it was wrong. To see a male child naked was unthinkable, but an adult ... K'nar shuttered at what that meant. By rights, her eyes, should be burning. She genuinely didn't want to go blind. She prayed silently for the Gods to understand and Blessed GRVA for forgiveness. Surely they would. After all, he was hurt, and they were forcing her. Acutely aware of his embarrassment and shame, she continued to clean away the sweat, blood and other body fluids.

When she finished, her guard smiled tightly and handed her a blanket. K'Nar smiled and wrapped the blanket around the stranger, trying to make him comfortable. She didn't understand why this guard was kind, none of the rest were. Still, he stood by and watched as she struggled to sit the stranger up. She pressed a cup of cold water in his hands, only for them to shake so hard that he spilled half before getting it to his lips. She held it for him managing to get him to rinse his mouth before he finished drinking. Three glasses later, too exhausted to keep his eyes open, she laid him down and did her best to make him comfortable on the floor.

Before leaving, she ghosted her fingers across his forehead, touching his still jumbled mind. Glad he was too tired to push her back; K'Nar sent streams of healing energy to calm his disrupted synapses. She watched until she was sure the twitching stopped. He was a strong telepath, but his shields were weak. Unsure why, she couldn't resist helping a fellow telepath remain strong and in just a few seconds they were back up strong enough to resist an intruder. He was hardly aware of the cell door opening or the guard taking the girl away.

o0o

Three hours and twelve minutes after the girl left the morons were back. He wasn't sure at first whether the girl was even real, but then he'd felt her in his head a second time restoring his shields. It afforded him enough strength to sleep, and to manage a bit of healing. Now, Moron (_ there was a good name for the burly, obnoxious guard_ ) was hauling him up by his hair again. He managed to knock a hand loose and decided Moron was an idiot.

"Enough with the hair: My mother didn't pull my hair this much! Now Borusa didn't mind yanking a handful now and again, but I was a kid and you're not him. If you keep grabbin' it, I am bound to go bald. I like my hair. I look good with this hair, Should have been a ginger, but hey."

He didn't expect an answer from Moron who shoved him out of the cell and back to the room with the chains. Visions of being locked inside the Pandorica came back sending a wave of fear through him. With each step toward the room, he forced the fear back into the far recesses of his mind. He was not a coward, and these people soon would find that out.

No pretty girl this time, the guard made short work of stringing him back up by his wrists, and yanking him off his feet. He bit his lip as pain shot through his shoulders and wrists. It took several seconds to focus control, flooding his body with endorphins to bring the pain down to a tolerable level. Times like this made him glad Gallifreyans could regulate a certain amount of pain control. It gave him time to prepare for whatever they planned next. He could feel Madam Nut Job watching, so he smiled.

o0o

The Mistress instructed the guard to make sure his feet just scraped the floor when they hoisted with the chains letting his wrists and shoulders bear the brunt of his weight. She watched him hang there, wiggling, as he tried to get some relief to his aching shoulders by standing on his toes.

_He must be in agony_, she thought.

She wondered whether his ability to withstand pain was biological or whether he was just too stubborn to give in. His behaviour contradicted everything she'd learnt about the man. Her sources led to her believe, given the right conditioning, he gladly would sacrifice himself for the child. What made him hang on to a piece of technology in the face of such pain ?

Under different circumstances, she would enjoy toying with him a bit more. Unfortunately, time constraints allowed a limited amount of time for such pleasure.

She had just days left to break him, to find the TARDIS and deliver both to the Continuum. Her leadership position was at risk, and losing it was not an option. She'd already begun to develop backup ideas. It was a shame the guard had marked his face. They would dock his salary for that mistake. If she had to do business with the pleasure palaces, the marks could cost her 50,000 credits. If she lost money, the guard would be whipped for that. Still, selling the last Time Lord might be worth the risk and maybe a few million credits with the proper bidding. If the guard broke him properly, he would receive a girl for that. It would be a shame though ; she doubted the Time Lord would last long in the trade. But by then, she would have her money.

She hit the intercom button. It was time to get busy. It was time to start his proper training and then - then they would break him.

"Are you ready to play, Doctor?"

" I would be, but I haven't had my tea. " His voice strained, his words were thick, difficult to understand, and his pain was obvious. That meant he was just stubborn. They would have to fix that.

"I want my ship." She demanded.

"Well good luck with that." He muttered back.

"Why suffer for a machine, Doctor?" she asked, keeping a kind tone to her voice.

"You know, I have asked myself that very question. Why would you suffer so much to get a machine? Ethically, I have to offer you one chance to fix things. Consider the child your only warning. I will stop you!" The Doctor snarled.

The Doctor looked impossibly skinny. His rib cage was already bruised. The bruises on his jaw extended up around his right eye. She spoke to the man beside her and gave specific instructions. They were to leave no further damage on his face, just inflict pain. She clicked off the intercom and watched him enter the room, pick up a Vruck shiar and walked straight to the prisoner. This was his special pet. This was his chance to prove himself to her. He would break this one. The prisoner met his gaze. She did have to give it to her new pet. No fear shown in his eyes. He simply clenched his jaw tighter, and waited for what ever came next. The Mistress watched her favourite guard grin with obvious pleasure as he circled him and then pushed the pain stick into his right flank.

o0o

The Doctor met Moron's gaze: nothing, but cold evil looked back. A feeling of overwhelming panic rose as he flashed this new enemy a cheeky grin. His jaw ached from gritting his teeth against what was to come. His body exploded with pain when the device pushed against his flank. His legs jerked up to his chest as his back arched back. His jaw jerked reflexively, biting his tongue and lip. Blood filled his mouth. A second jab just below his scapula sent his body twisting. His arms jerked his body up and then he dropped back down unevenly, dislocating his left shoulder. His head flopped sideways. He gasped for, air like a fish out of water. His hearts raced to the point he thought he would have a double heart attack. His mind screamed for them to stop: for him to quit and die, but not a sound came out of his mouth. The man struck three last blows before finally dropping his arm to exhausted to continue. He looked back up at the camera, listening for the order to continue, only to be disappointed. He laid the device down and left.

Silent tears ran down the Doctor's cheeks.

"Is it worth it, Doctor? Is your ship worth this pain?" She purred.

"Go to bloody hell." He grinned. "I win." His voice was barely audible: "I always win."

He parroted Mad Nut Job's words as he dropped his head back down on his chest, feeling his hearts slow down wondering if they would stop. If they did, he chose now to die. Watching blood from his nose drip to the floor, he decided not to regenerate. Several minutes passed before the guards took him down and dragged him back to his cell. They dropped him on the blanket, leaving him to shudder in agony.

o0o

She watched while took him down, amazed at his resistance. Before returning to the mansion she made sure that her favourite guards understood their instructions. They would visit her new pet until her return. She didn't want her guest too comfortable before she could visit with him again.


	4. Chapter 4 The TARDIS Chooses

Jack Harkness stood on top of the Millennium Centre, gazing down at the Plass watching the last of the theatre-goers head for the carpark. Even from up here, he could hear music spilling out from neighbouring pubs. Saturday night and all was peaceful with the world, or at least the portion of it that was Cardiff Bay. The crowd had a beautiful night for a good time. From his place on the roof, he could see the wharf lights join the moon's reflection on the bay dancing on the ripples of the water like fairie lights. Tonight Jack was lucky, it was actually peaceful. Breeding season for the weevils had ended, nothing had come through the rift in almost a month and the government wasn't harping about expenses. This was almost a vacation. Of course, a better vacation would be a Paris hotel with Ianto and his stopwatch, but a guy couldn't have every thing, not even an immortal one.

The clear, cloudless night had just enough chill in the air to feel good. Standing on the top of the building, a strong, cold breeze whipped up around him, making him grateful for his great-coat. He was always careful that no one could see him up here. The last thing he needed was a report of Batman on top of the building. This was his spot. It was where he came to unwind at the end of the day or in the middle of a sleepless night. Someone whooping from a nearby pub brought a few of the nights the entire gang partied in those same bars. Since Owen and Tosh, he didn't party much anymore, at least, not in the places where he swore Owen still flirted, and Tosh still twittered after a simple drink. The heartbreak was still too much.

An unexpected buzz from his wrist monitor startled him, bringing an end to his daydreaming. A quick punch of numbers entered the code to deliver the security feed to his wrist monitor only to see a quiet control room. He switched camera feeds until he saw the cell hallway. The weevils cowered at the back of their cells and as he turned the camera for a better view almost falling off the roof at the sight in the hallway. After three long years, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Jack ran for the lift whooping like the drunken club patron below.

The TARDIS was in the Hub.

He raced to the basement, running a list of greeting lines through his head as he went. The last time he saw this silly box was a few weeks after the Doctor regenerated. The Doctor obviously stopped for a refill of rift energy. He'd stepped out of the TARDIS with a cute young red-head, both looking impossibly young. Jack remembered how hard his heart pounded at the sight, and the crushing disappointment that followed when the Doctor walked out of view of the CCTV cameras.

Now, here sat the TARDIS. Jack waited, his worry notching up a level when no one came out. Without realising, he held his breath. Not sure what to expect, he reached to open the door, only to have it swing in. A breathy nervous chuckle escaped as he stepped into the TARDIS to the sound of the cloister bells and the dim lights flashing mauve. The ship was so entirely different, all shiny and futuristic. The metal grating and ramps were gone, replaced by a glass floor and staircases with proper railing. Silly do-dads still dominated the console. The bicycle pump was gone, replaced by new dials and an ancient Royal typewriter. Red and yellow pumps turned out to be mustard and ketchup.

"Doc!" Jack called, but only the sounds of the ship answered.

When he didn't get an answer, Jack headed down a set of stairs leading to a storage area. For once, the ship came up with a place to put cables, tools and blankets without having to pull up metal grating. But other than neatly kept storage, he found nothing. Jack came back up to the console as the Cloister Bells gave voice to her moans.

"What happened, old girl? Where is he?"

Images of hands grabbing this new Doctor flooded Jack's mind. Before he could ask the next question, the Doctor's holographic message popped on. The image of the slender young man in the hologram still left Jack gob-smacked. His angular face and chin rivalled Nine's ears. A dishevelled mop of brown hair nearly as gravity defying as Jack's Doctor hung across green eyes that still held a glint of gold , but looked tired and pensive. Most of all, he still made Jack's heart race. What surprised him most was the intended recipient.

_"Halloo Ponds, sorry about not answering back. Been a bit busy lately. I am following a lead on Kovarian and Melody. Amy, I will get her back. So, before you ask, yes I'm still hot on the trail - so to speak. That brings me to the point of this message. I managed to find Kovarian on a little planet in the Raemer belt. I literally was at the door when they took off. I have picked up a lead on a woman travelling with a human child. The woman is too old to be the baby's mum and the general description matches Kovarian. The lead is a bit dodgy. Problem is it came with a rumour that someone wants to steal the TARDIS. So, Rory you are always fussing I should be cautious. This is me being cautious. I've programmed the TARDIS to leave Regulus IV 72 hours and 1 minute past my failure to return, to come get you. I have cut my link to her, so no one can track her through me. She can still feel me, but I can't feel her or tell anyone where she is. That way she is safe. If you're seeing this, I'm in trouble. I wouldn't ask but... Anyway, chances are good you will never see this message, and I will be home with Melody. See you soon!"_ he finished brightly.

"Damn Doc, what did you do, and who the hell are the Ponds? Old girl, why are you here?"

The TARDIS communicated by pictures and impressions. Images of exploding timelines flooded through Jack. She showed him pictures of a young couple wrapped in a protective cocoon. He assumed they must be the Ponds. She made it clear: she needed her strongest child to get Thief back. Thief was wrong to go for the Ponds. Whoever this Melody person was, going after her had put the Doc in deep trouble. The TARDIS showed Jack a picture of the Ponds crying and the Doctor receiving a beating. S he needed his help for all of them.

"Give me a little while to get Martha here. I need to make sure we can treat him if he's hurt, okay?" Jack felt the TARDIS nudge him. A blast of warm air enveloped him in a hug.

Jack grabbed his mobile and dialled Martha. Disappointed that it went to voice mail, he left a short message: "Get to the Hub and prepare for an injured friend." A second message went to Ianto. "Be back soon, had to do something." Minutes later with his Webley strapped to his side, Jack re-entered the TARDIS.

An hour after he left, Martha walked in to find, an empty Hub and sticky notes taped to her computer screen in the autopsy room and on the medical supply cabinet. He's in trouble be ready.

o0o

River lay half-asleep on her bunk in Stormcage, a contented smile on her face. Her updated diary still lay open on her chest. Less than an hour had passed since she returned from an epic date. Dinner and then a night at the Paris Opera Ballet ( her choice ) followed by a weekend at Disneyland Paris in 2032 ( his choice ) . They'd spent the entire time playing, snogging and, her smile broadened at the thought, of doing other things. The weekend of activities left her wonderfully exhausted. At 1103, he could still be such a child. The best part: there were no monsters or unjust battles involved. Despite the weirdness of their relationship, and her reason for being in this prison, she was utterly content with her life.

She'd spent three days revelling in the very feel of his body, and the way the pupils of his beautiful green eyes dilated when he made love to her. Keeping the memory alive of those special moments when he looked at her with all the love in the universe made up for all the times their timestreams crossed in the wrong order. Now half asleep, listening to Stevie Wonder sing 'Come Back to Me, ' she fantasized about the feel of his fingers on her skin as he traced her name in Gallifreyan and then explored the folds of her body. The thought sent a shiver of delight her through her.

Her smile relaxed as she slipped into sleep only to jerk back awake minutes later to the sounds of his blue box over-riding Stevie's voice. That was quick, she thought. The late night visit didn't bother her a bit. Snogging was an excellent way to end the evening. The TARDIS always made sure the cameras saw what they were supposed to see. This time, though, she would lie very still, letting him make the first move. His footsteps echoed as he crossed the few feet from the ship, but he said nothing.

When he didn't speak, she couldn't resist crooning huskily, " Hello Sweetie, miss me already ?"

"I don't know, good-looking; tell me who you are," Jack crossed his arms, "and why the TARDIS brought me here. Then, maybe, I'll let you know."

River nearly fell off the bed at the sound of the stranger's voice as she scrambled to her feet.

"What the hell? Who the hell are you." River stuttered. "What are you doing here? Where's the Doctor?"

"Captain Jack Harkness. Now, before I get back inside, who the hell are you ?"

"I'm River Song. Now, answer my question, what are you doing with the TARDIS !"

"The Doctor's in trouble. The TARDIS came to get me. I thought she was taking me to some planet called Regulus IV, but instead, I've wound up in a prison - not my favourite place I might add. Do you want out or not ?"

River stared open-mouthed at Harkness, then whirled to grab her manipulator. Thirty seconds later, the ship entered the vortex with both her passengers, leaving the prison klaxons blaring.

"I've heard of you, the Doctor told me about you. Why would the TARDIS come for you?" she asked as they raced up the gangplank to the console.

"I had the same question about you because I'm guessing your are not from my Doctor's time. I've never heard of you."

"What did he do?" River snarled.

Before they could continue, the hologram popped on stopping both mid-word. He looked so young ; this was made just weeks after Demons Run. This was at the beginning of their relationship. "What did you do?" She swallowed a sob at the sight of her husband looking so - tired. This was wrong. Her anger grew as she listened to the message. She'd made him promise never do anything to change her time. How could she not know about this? What was he doing on Regulus IV? Her jaws clenched tight, she ignored Harkness as she whirled around the console inputting the coordinates to her parents.

She thought, by now, they would have understood.

o0o

Amy Pond was properly angry. She loved her raggedy Doctor, she truly did. He was the brother she never had. Right now, though - she hated him. He'd not bothered to answer her calls for days, message after message having gone to voice mail. Her instincts told her something was wrong, but with her postpartum hormones still strong, her emotions were in turmoil. She wanted to kill him. What good did adding voice mail to the TARDIS do if he didn't answer the bloody messages ?

Amy wanted her baby. She wanted to show Melody off to her mum, dad, and Aunt Sharon. She wanted to lay her in the pram or even a pushchair and walk the neighbourhood, bragging to the other mums that her daughter was prettier, smarter, and generally more brilliant than their daughters were. She wanted to unpack the room full of nursery furniture and lay her daughter in her new crib.

Instead, she had an empty nursery, and empty, aching arms. This was so unfair.

The phone clutched in her hand felt as if it weighed a ton. She looked at the lounge wall contemplating how many pieces it would shatter into when it landed against its surface. Rory would kill her. This was the third mobile in as many weeks. Not to mention how mad he would be for the dent in the drywall.

" The insurance will only replace one, Amy," he fussed when he'd given her this one. "And, I really don't want to have Dad come back to fix another hole," he said after Brian left the last time. All of her friends understood her sadness nd tried to be understanding. Everyone knew someone who had miscarried a baby.

They could never know that Melody was stolen out of her arms or that the avatar baby dissolving in her arms left her demoralised and plagued with nightmares. Curling up on the couch, she began to cry again for what must have been the millionth time. Rory would be home soon. She had to pull herself together. She couldn't - wouldn't let him see her cry again. A strong-willed, fiery, young woman, Amy never had trouble pulling herself together, but since Demon's Run, she was a mess. The struggle to regain her confidence left her exhausted.

Drawing a deep breath, Amy forced the sadness away and prepared for her husband getting home from work. Her common sense finally kicked in, and Amy dropped the mobile on the table. She had a husband to feed. If nothing else, since coming home, she learnt how to cook a proper meal. The oven timer sounded as she headed into the kitchen. Rory walked through the front door just as she pulled a roast out of the oven.

"Something smells good." She heard him say.

"Rory!" Amy screamed as the wind kicked up in the back garden and the tell-tale sounds of engines filled the air.

"I know," he yelled as he reached her side. The grin on his face broadened as he grabbed her hand and they raced together for the back garden. Expecting to see their best friend, both were gob-smacked when; instead, River barreled toward them.

"Amy what did you do?" River yelled at her mother.

"What - - where's the Doctor?" Amy and Rory both stumbled back, stunned by River's fury.

"He'd do anything for you. What did you ask him to do ?" River grabbed Amy by the arm, on the verge of shaking her.

"River, what's wrong?" Rory asked, pulling Amy away from his irate daughter. "Who's that man?" He pointed to Jack stepping from the ship. "W here's the Doctor ?"

River looked back at the forgotten man, grabbed her parents and steered them back into the house.

Rory closed the french doors and turned to the angry woman confronting his wife. "Alright River, tell us what's wrong." He kept his voice calm in an effort to calm her down.

River closed her eyes and drew a breath. After several second of silence, she opened them to look at the faces of her parents. She forced herself to keep a controlled and even tone. " I need to know what you did. Mum? What did you convince him to do ?"

"River, where's the Doctor ?" Rory slipped his arm around Amy's waist, pulling her tight against him. Suddenly, his worst nightmare- their worst nightmare seemed to have come true.

"The TARDIS came to get me in Stormcage. He's in trouble. That man out there is Jack Harkness. She went to get him first. FIRST Mum! Not for us - for him. Her cloister bells are going off so loud I have a headache. That means he is in truly serious trouble. I need to know what you did."

"We - I asked him to find you - - to find my baby. I want my baby back. What is so wrong with that ? Kovarian stole you, and I want you back." Amy's voice was thick with her own frustration and rage. "What's wrong with wanting to be a proper mum?" She wanted to roar back at this woman who claimed that she was her daughter. It didn't make sense on Demons Run, and it didn't make sense now.

The two women glared at each other. Angry silence roared in their ears. River understood her mother's pain, and anger, but she told them after Demons Run, she didn't want a second of her life changed. Dropping her head, River stepped up to her mother, and blew a frustrated breath before she spoke. Amy was so young, how could she make her understand?

"How many times did you ask him, Mum? Was it ten, twenty, one hundred? You are the only person in this universe he would ever break his own rules for. If he could fix or change anything without going back on his own timeline, he would. I made him promise never to do it for me, but you - he would bend the universe for you. He has so much guilt over you and Dad as it is, and you used it against him. He went to a planet to follow a lead, and now he is in trouble because of what you did. He wasn't even supposed to go on this - quest."

"River, " Rory asked softly. " What did the message say, and why didn't the TARDIS come to get us ?"

"You need to see for yourself, and she didn't come to us because she's angry. She's scared, and she's angry. I can't imagine her pain at being cut off from him. Only death can separate a TARDIS and its pilot. You need to listen to the message and then we need to find him. "

"What about the bloke outside, pacing a hole in our garden ? Why did she go to him ?" Rory asked again.

"Jack Harkness is/was an old friend of his. They were close, but then stuff happened, and the Doctor doesn't talk about it much, at least not to me. I asked the TARDIS why she went after him, and was blasted with cold air and a pounding headache for the answer."

"Yeah, well he's headed this way." Rory opened the door to an irate man.

"Look, I don't know who you people are or what you are doing, but I'm leaving in two minutes." Jack barked, his anger bordering on rage. He turned back for the TARDIS, leaving the strangers to follow or not.

The three looked at each other and followed the stranger to the TARDIS. The Doctor's holographic message popped on the second they crossed the threshold. Amy let out a small cry at the sight of the alien. He straightened his bow tie trying to look cool; instead, he looked unwell and exhausted.

She reached for her husband's hand. "What did I do, Rory?"

"I'm guessing, you are the red-head I saw him with a couple of years ago, and since you're here, that makes you, and nose over there, the Ponds." Jack asked, trying not to let his anger override his self-control. "What's this about? What did he walk into?"

Amy's Scottish accent was thick with emotion. " Who are you ? He never talks about before."

"I'm his friend. He is my best friend, and for every second I waste trying to figure out what the hell is going on, I'm wasting time to find him."

"Actually, we're the Williams. I am Rory, and this is Amy. The Pond thing is a private joke. A few months ago, a woman named Madam Kovarian kidnapped our baby. The Doctor is trying to find her, and bring her home. Oh, one more thing mate," Rory snapped, " only the Doctor gets to call me 'the nose'. That's the short story."

"I did this," Amy whispered as she stared at the hologram in front of her. "I let him get all emotional, and now he's in trouble." She sucked in a lung full of air. " We need to close the house." She turned back out of the TARDIS to do just that.

Jack looked back at the image wavering in the air. " 900 years Doc. 900 plus, when will you learn you don't have to fix everything by yourself. And could you at least pick companions with fewer issues ?" Jack sighed as the hologram popped off. He felt every tear the TARDIS wanted to shed, but couldn't. He felt her rage at the danger her Thief was in. As the Ponds walked back in, a new message came on her computer screen.

"What the -" Rory started, "What is that?"

"It's Gallifreyan, like on the home box." Amy answered.

They all stared at the screen; none of them knew the TARDIS to leave messages on her screens. She would hum, croon; even send images to their heads. She would blow cold air or knock them off their feet when she was angry. They'd never seen her act like this.

With tears brimming in her eyes, River translated, " It says: Find my Thief. He hurts. They are hurting him. " River's voice cracked as she laid her hand on the message. She couldn't stop tears from sliding down her face.

"I will find him, old girl. I promise," Jack whispered to the ship. "Hey, have I ever let you down." He turned to this three weird strangers and spoke again. "We need to get to the Hub, and pick up supplies. He and an old companion developed meds for him. I will get him back and sure hope you are worth it!"

He tried to hide his fear only to receive a cold blast from the equally scared ship . The TARDIS shuddered as she slammed her doors and dematerialised.


	5. Chapter 5 The Strength of a Child

K'Nar stood in the doorway of the cell, staring in disbelief at the man lying on the floor. Her guard stood beside her, holding the supplies needed to clean up the mess the Mistress had created. The young man wasn't moving, and for just a second, K'Nar thought his life force had left. Then she saw his shoulder rise with his breath; she realised that she was holding her own. She opened her mind to the link she'd planted, but he didn't respond. Not only was he unconscious, but they had left him naked on the blanket, and lying in his own mess.

"GRVA, don't make me blind," she thought hoping against hope that the Goddesses wouldn't strike her blind.

"Hurry up, child," the guard ordered.

"My Lord, if I go in there with him like that, the Goddesses will strike me blind." She stared innocently at the man. They could have at least had the decency to place a blanket across him, she spoke to his mind.

He flashed a tight smile. "Don't move," he whispered as he glanced nervously toward the cameras. He stepped away, returning a second later with a blanket and covered the unconscious man in the cell.

"Thank you my Lord." She swallowed nervously.

Every instinct told her to run. Even with him covered, taking care of a man was forbidden. But abandoning an injured soul was also against the teachings of GRVA. K'Nar took a breath, swallowed her fear, and prayed again for forgiveness. She asked GRVA's sister goddess Nabah for the courage not to act like a helpless child because she had no idea what to do. The Teachers never discussed this in class. A gentle push from her guard shoved her qualms aside. Her heart raced as she crossed the cell to where he lay.

"My Lord," she looked at the guard, "how long have they just...?"

"I don't know, little one. I've covered him." He chuckled at her innocence. Now, do what you're told so we don't get in trouble."

K'Nar turned her attention back to the young Lord and drew a breath. All the weeks she'd spent in this place, she'd managed to convince the vile creatures that she was mind blind. Now, she needed to take risks. Fierce determination - fuelled by a fierce need to help - filled her soul. She needed a few seconds to formulate a plan. She tucked the blanket around him and then began to set up the supplies need to clean him. There were things she needed, starting with a place for him to lay; to recover at least a little from their cruelty.

And she needed help.

That started with the guard at the door. Out of all of them, he was the most decent, and therefore, the easiest to manipulate. She turned to look into the man's kind eyes and smiled. Her eyes brightened to a glow as she sent images of another blankets, a mattress, fresh food and water to his mind. She sighed with relief when without a word he turned and left.

"It will be alright, my Lord," she whispered as she began to wipe the blood from his face. "You'll see, he'll bring back at least a pallet and then we can get you off the cold floor."

She pulled the blanket down just enough to expose his chest and began gently wiping away dried blood, and sweat. Fear of being found alone bubbled up making her heart pound faster in anticipation of punishment. Before she had the chance to descend into panic, the guard returned pulling a mattress from an empty cell. He said nothing as he helped get the young Lord off the floor and then disappeared again; returning again with a spare blanket that he hid under the mattress. He smiled gently as he pressed a jug of water, and a small bottle of liniment into her hands.

"I keep it - - to use when one of the men get in a fight. It will help a little." He left her alone to clean the man's muck.

K'Nar nodded in gratitude. When the guard left, she started humming the childhood lullaby her mother always sang to her when she was sick or had a nightmare. This certainly qualified as a one. Blood continued to ooze from his mouth.

"Lord, you bit your tongue," She said gently not sure what to do with the bottle in her hand.

And then he moaned. It was just a quiet little moan, but if he were awake, he would probably be screaming in sheer agony. She had no choice. Even if the Gods made her blind, she hoped at least, her mother would be proud.

"This might hurt," she said hoping that he could hear her voice as she applied the liniment to the large bruise forming across the top of his shoulder extending to the top of his chest.

Some how they'd damaged his left shoulder. K'Nar breathed deeply, swallowed hard and poured the liniment. She'd barely touched his skin when her own nerves exploded in reaction to his pain. Her audible gasp came as her own shields snapped in place to block his pain from invading her mind. The sudden mental contact jolted him back to the reality that his body was in pain. Still not fully conscious, his attempt to move brought another quiet moan.

She drew a centering breath just as the Teachers taught her, and then making sure she wouldn't be detected, she stepped into a mind swirling in pain and anger. Her hands moved across the bruises as K'Nar focused on getting his body to flood itself with healing energy and release endorphins. She felt his pounding hearts slow and his pain ease, but his anger and fear bled through her shields. She should increase her shields and withdraw, but she didn't. K'Nar made the decision to break her people's law. She pushed past his shields, entering deeper into his mind hunting for his haven. The place where he hid when the world was too much. The Teachers said everyone had such a place.

His lay deeply hidden.

His breathing quickened in response to her intrusion. He raised a hand to swat the annoying, invisible fly that seemed to buzz in his ear. K'Nar stayed focused on cleaning his body, as she increased her effort to give him a measure of peace. Slowly, she felt his breathing ease as he became accustomed to her presence inside his mind.

Then she saw him.

Turmoil surrounded him but, there he was, calmly sitting on a rock, in a sea of red grass. He was a child, no more than six or seven. In this spot, he could push back against the dark clouds and confusion. A herd of animals grazed in the distance fascinated him. A few animals standing on the outside of the herd kept their heads high scanning the horizon for predators. Their movements seemed to fascinate him. This was his safe place. She glided gently next to him, and sat down.

_Hello_, she asked quietly, _do you remember me?_

The child looked at her confused, but unafraid. _You're the girl. How did you get here ?_

_Like you, I am a telepath, My Lord, and I could not let you stay here alone. My name is K'Nar, and I came to help._

_Help what ?_

_Help you to stay strong My Lord. What is this place?_ K'Nar asked gently.

_My home. We live in that house over there_. The child pointed to what looked like a castle.

_How old are you, My Lord?_

_Seven._

_What is your name here, My Lord ?_

_Why do you say that?_

_Because, I must call all males Lord. It is the law of my world._

_Oh, my nickname is Theta, but most of my friends call me Thete. I can't tell you my real name. It is a secret ' til I bond. _He giggled shyly_. You shouldn't be here. It's against the rules. We will get in trouble._

_By who, my Lord ? K'Nar felt his fear and his body shutter at the thought of punishment and tried to increase his level of peace._

_I don't know, by somebody. Did the bad people take you too?_

_Yes, they did. Why do the bad people want to hurt you, my Lord? _K'Nar knew that she was making her crime worse by having this conversation with an off-worlder, but her curiosity was too strong, and she missed mind-talking with another telepath. Even injured, this man's mind was powerful . Besides, she was not telling, and she doubted the young Lord would remember.

_They want my ship. It's a TARDIS. She's alive, and they want her to do bad things. I can't let that happen. She's my friend, my last friend from my home. My home is gone now. This is where I come to remember. His little voice sounded so matter of fact._

_I'm so very sorry my Lord._

_For what? _He was confused.

_That your home is gone._

_You can call me, Doctor. My world is gone - in a war. We lost, but here I can remember ; I can pretend it's still beautiful._

_Are you a Doctor? _ K'Nar brushed the child's unruly hair away from his gentle face. She wondered if the Young Lord was really this sweet as a child.

_Sorta, kinda. Mostly I am just, The Doctor. That's what everyone calls me. Sometimes, I forget wh_y.

K'Nar couldn't help notice he sounded a little confused._ Lord, what does a doctor do?_

_Mostly, I just seem to get in trouble._

_I understand_. K'Nar giggled. _I have broken lots of rules. My parents will be angry._

_I told you we'd get in trouble._ The Doctor's child- self shuttered.

_It will be worth it. My Lord, You are very brave, and I will help. _ _But now_, K'Nar smiled, _you must come with me. I can't stay long. The guard will be back. We must_ _rebuild your walls, so you can remain strong._

No, it hurts out there. I want to stay here, he moaned.

_I know, but you cannot stay in here, and protect your ship. I will help you stay strong, but you must come now. I've sent energy to help, and I have strengthened our link so we can talk. I can help - even when I am not close. I have to leave soon; It's time to come back now._

K'Nar wondered if her mother felt giddy when she helped someone. She held out her hand to the frightened child. Putting his hand in hers, he gave a last look at his home. K'Nar led him back through his mind to the injured adult she knew. She joined her red beams of energy with his gold as they walked, restoring, and securing his walls. She triggered his body's ability to control his pain, and implanted an image of reserve energy in the form of a silly, red balloon. She left him at the doorway of consciousness, his mind dreading to wake up. When he seemed ready, she gently withdrew, and waited for him. His body relaxed into her. The furrows between his eyes eased, and within a minute, the Doctor groaned. He shifted and opened his eyes to see K'Nar smiling down at him.

"You were in my head," he groaned slightly, his words hard to understand from his swollen tongue.

"Yes my Lord, I was. My people will not be happy." She kept her voice almost a whisper. She couldn't chance anyone else knowing what she was and what she had done.

The Doctor felt her concern, sending her a mental message. _ That was dangerous. These people will hurt you. Please - - be careful._

I am well hidden. They think I am mind-blind, that I am only a shape shifter. I have to leave now. They are coming. Be strong Lord, hold onto the red balloon. It will help.

She withdrew, lifting his head from her lap to stand up. " Until I see you again my Lord, " she said quietly, as her guard took her away.

The Doctor moved on his side, barely aware of the cell door closing. He missed her presence before she was out the door. Unable to keep his eyes open, he was asleep in seconds, dreaming of home.

Three hours later, they came again. The guard kicked him awake, producing a spate of Gallifreyan profanity. Moron grabbed him by the hair, jerking him to his feet, as he laughed while shoving the Doctor to the centre of the cell. The place was actually colder than the day they'd put him there. Without the protection of the blanket, he couldn't control his shivering.

"Sleep well Doctor?" The voice was back. "Did you enjoy your visit with my pet?"

"She is NOT your pet, and your wake-up call needs a little work. " Disgust filled his voice.

Taking a deep breath, a sharp pain stabbed through his chest ; confirming he now had at least two cracked ribs. No mean feat, considering the density of his bones.

"Where is my ship, Doctor? Where did you send it?" she snarled. There was no longer a need for the pretense of reason. She needed to break him. Her time was running out.

"Go to hell!" He hissed through clenched teeth.

Moron immediately shoved the Doctor to his knees ; his hands secured behind his back. " Oi, love to play rough do we ?" He gasped.

Before another word could come out of his mouth, Moron shoved a bag over his face. Panic flooded his brain. Struggling to get away, the men only held him tighter. The bag twisted until it cut into his throat, cutting off his air.

Adrenaline flooded his body as he fought to get them off; to breathe. His attempts to suck air collapsed the bag, blocking his nose and mouth. He bucked and twisted against the struggling guards who tightened their grip to hold him down. His shoulder exploded in pain. H is heart and lungs felt as if they would burst. His legs turned to jelly. Blackness swirled at the edges of his brain. His respiratory bypass kicked in, flooding him with oxygen to protect his brain. Just as he was about to quit, the exhausted morons ripped the bag off, leaving him to gulp air into his burning lungs. Respiratory bypass or not, being suffocated was terrifying.

He could hear her laughing, and it burned deep into his soul.

The morons left the cell laughing as the Doctor laid gasping with tears running down his face. Anger mixed with a deep hatred quickly replaced the terror that flooded through him, fuelling his determination not only to survive, but to win. These morons certainly would not win. They would never win.

"You kill me this soon, you won't have any more fun! You will never get my TARDIS. Not ever!" He tried to scream, but it came out more of a croak.

His only response was the silence.

For several minutes, he laid on the concrete trying to will strength back into legs. His left arm useless, he finally managed to roll over and get to his knees and crawl back to the mattress to collapsed in exhaustion. He didn't know how much time had passed before he mustered enough strength to pull his trembling knees to his chest and wrap the thin blanket around his shivering body. The concrete wall behind him was all that kept him upright

He wanted to go home.

The memory of Jack's torture by the Master popped in his head followed closely by images of Martha and her family. They had suffered, truly suffered. Amy and Rory's lives would certainly be far different had he not crashed in Amy's garden. Fourteen years of teasing, embarrassment, and death followed that random incident. Maybe this would pay off some of the debt. He felt K'Nar in his head. _Remember__ the balloon, Lord. Use the energy._

The surge of red energy flowed through him, calming his pounding hearts and tamping down his fear. Here, was another life experience he didn't need. A mere wisp of a child could enter his head and shore up his shields. How the mighty had fallen._ I must be getting really old,_ he thought.

The Doctor opened his eyes and drew a deep breath, wincing at the stab of pain in his chest. "Stupid idiot, since when do you give into panic," he chastised himself. "There was no way I will let that vicious, sadistic bitch win."

An image of K'Nar entered his head. At least, he thought. For once, the universe was kind. It sent that child to help. Too sore to move, he sent her his thanks. Exhausted, he refused to go to sleep as he waited for the next time. They wouldn't catch him unprepared again.

o0o

Keeping her thoughts to herself, Martha finished her tasks, and said goodbye to the companions. Part of her wished that she could go, but she couldn't. She loved this old ship, but her days in her were over. They ended after his regeneration, and she didn't think she could ever travel in her again. Not even for this. She reassured them that she would be ready when they got back. Martha laid her hand on the wall to say goodbye and felt the ship hum her gratitude.

"He'll be fine," she whispered to the ship, "You'll see. I'll see you soon."

The TARDIS sent a warm blast of air to hug her goodbye.

"Watch your self Jack," She said as she kissed his cheek. on the way out I'll tell Gwen and Ianto what's happening. Find him and bring him home."

She stepped out the TARDIS and turned to watch the ship dematerialise. "Come home safe."


	6. Chapter 6 Rules are Made to be Broken

The hours and days ran together in a morass of confusion, making it impossible for the Doctor to to remember how long he'd sat in this cell. Keeping track of Moron's visits had become a challenge, but they were frequent and came in-between trips to the man's fun room. Fun room: that's what Moron liked to call the place where he tortured people. The Doctor was reasonably sure that, at the moment, he was the main attraction.

On day ten or maybe it was day twelve, Moron and a cohort showed up with bigger than usual grins on their faces. The Doctor watched carefully as the cell door unlocked and the two walked in. He inhaled sharply to force a calm that no longer existed.

"You know someday very soon, you will regret trying to put me in here," he sneered.

"Well, little man." Moron's smile did nothing to cover his ugly teeth. "It won't be today," he sneered as the two yanked the Doctor to his feet. "Today we play a new game. Move!" They pushed him through the door into the hallway. Three doors down the hall on the right an open door beckoned. They shoved the Doctor through the door into the fun room toward an awaiting empty chair. Two sets of hands forced him down.

The Doctor met Moron's eyes with a look of absolute hatred. "Same question fifteen times a day will get you the same answer." Instead of a snarl the Doctor laughed. "That is the definition of insanity. Again the Good - -"

His ears rang from the smack that hit his face. He could feel his blood begin to trickle down the side of his jaw. Moron grabbed his hair and forced his head to the side. "New game. I stick a needle in you and you tell me what I want," he snarled as he forced the Doctor's head over exposing his jugular vein."

.Despite having no chance of getting away, the Doctor bucked sideways. Another blow ended the struggle before even began. A burning sensation followed the sharp prick of a needle in the side of his neck as a drug coursed its way quickly through his veins. He threw mental shield after shield up to protect his mind just as he felt the first effects begin

"Where. Is. My Mistress' - - ship?"

"On Raypro's moonbase," he answered thickly. "It's in the acid lakes of Pelnith." He giggled. The drug burnt a path across his brain scrambling his thinking.

"You stupid -" Moron's fist struck again. "Just can't follow the rules can you. You don't laugh, you don't talk back ..."

The sound of Moron's voice drifted, replaced by a more musical force. My Lord sleep. The voice sang to him. The Doctor gave into the encroaching darkness without feeling the last blow.

When he woke, the Doctor blinked against the darkness enveloping cell. He had no idea whether it was night or day. Blankets cocooned him, and for once, he was warm. He moved gingerly testing his limbs relieved to find they still worked. He closed his eyes and extended his thoughts out through the darkness immediately hearing K'Nar's answer call.

It's late Lord, go back to sleep. she called back sounding more like a mother than a child. Much against his will, her soft voice singing eased him back to sleep.

Moron's visits increased over several days. Each visit began with the Doctor laughing at his enemy and ended with him crawling in agony back to mattress. His latest punishment for disobedience was isolation.

"You're not learning your lessons, little man." Moron practically spat the words while smacking the Doctor across the cell. It was getting harder to break the rules.

That visit ended with words that shattered his spirit. He uttered, _My Mistress_.

As a reward, they'd left him alone. Not that it mattered that much. The results of Moron's visits made the time alone almost as painful as the training sessions. In addition to the constant ache, he no longer felt time run through his head. He fantasized that Moron had injured himself; maybe he'd broken his foot or even his hand during their last training session thus making him unavailable for further lessons.

It was a thought.

He missed K'Nar. It felt like days since he'd seen her, but in reality, it was just one. Moron returned. With needles. Only K'Nar calling to his mind kept him from quitting.

Two visits later, he didn't laugh. Despite being left bloodied and silent, he still hadn't seen K'Nar. He hadn't seen anyone except Moron. And then he was alone again. The isolation wasn't so bad. If it weren't for the pain, he would have enjoyed it. It meant time away from Moron and his lessons. But ... he missed K'Nar. Mind talk wasn't the same as having her close, even if just for a few minutes. If she were close, he knew she was safe. He'd promised to get her out, but hope for that was fading.

It must have given them some sense of perverted pleasure for a child to clean the blood and muck away. Little did they know how much he'd come to treasure her or how desperately he wanted to see and touch her, and know that she was safe.

Or maybe they did.

He tried to reach her through their link, but her shields were up, making the connection impossible. She must be hiding her skill from someone. Worry that they might hurt her twisted like a knife in his gut.

Sometimes the silence became deafening. It was in those times, he actually wished someone else was in the nearby cells. He couldn't believe he wanted that, but he did. He would be able to share his disdain for the idiots who held them. Somehow whinging about your captors wasn't the same when you were alone. The babbling just looked stupid. At other times, his body flinched in anticipation at every little sound, no matter how faint. It was as if his body knew that sound brought pain, and his mind no longer could control his responses. That was not acceptable. He tried meditating, forcing his body not to respond to outside sounds, but he had trouble staying focused. In the end, he just gave up.

At different points, food and water appeared in the cell. He savoured the water, but to make it last, he only took tiny sips. What passed for food was a waste. Well, except the mashed white stuff. He did give that a go, but, it hurt too much to chew the rest. Just the effort of trying amplified his pain. He hurt in places he'd forgotten existed. The mattress provided little relief, but it was better than the floor.

He shifted up against the wall to ease the pain in his left shoulder. The pain was sickening. For all his talk of superior physiology, he was forced to wonder why Gallifreyan evolution stuck them with a nerve bundle capable of incapacitating them . Seemed a bit ridiculous to have something that could effect species survival. His arm was bloody useless; just flexing his fingers hurt.

At least he didn't to have to wee. The effort to go for the only bucket was too hard today. The cell had developed a stench, though, and it added to his misery. He hated feeling manky, but since he couldn't remember his last shower, he had no doubt that he met its definition. His bruised face sported a proper beard. Having greasy, dirty hair, and a pathetic excuse of beard brought the memories of playing Canton's prisoner back in full force. He didn't have a beard kind of face anyway: it just made his chin stick out more.

The hours ticked by. His imagination began to play tricks. He fought down panic at the idea no one would come, but reason reasserted itself. He knew Moron would come; he never stayed away this long. There was nothing worse to contend with, than un-punctual person or alien attack. Now he could add torturer to his list. An un-punctual, moronic, torturer who enjoyed his job, bossed by a psychopathic, sadistic criminal now sat right at the top of the list.

Where do I find them ? Wonder if this was what Jack felt like on the Valiant. Suffering in pain forced to just wait for the Master to drop the other shoe, he thought.

Sometime after what he guessed was noon, footsteps echoed off the walls. The guards were clunking down the hallway. At least the waiting was over. The Doctor locked eyes with the malignant idiot coming through the cell door. He refused to show the absolute fear he felt every time Moron walked through the door. Once more, his body betrayed him when h is jaw twitched a bit in anticipation of the next round of pain. He wiggled the fingers of his right hand. He'd picked this nervous gesture up in this incarnation. One day he would have to work on nervous gestures.

"My Mistress wishes her property," Moron growled at him.

He half regretted the answer that slipped out, but time alone had provided some healing and restored his defiance. "Your Mistress can bugger off!" he growled back.

A thin smile crossed the man's face; their eyes stayed locked as he reached down, grabbed a handful of the Doctor's hair and pulled him to his knees.

"It's seems," he growled, "you have forgotten your lessons already. My Mistress wants her ship!" Moron leaned over and lifted the Doctor by his hair towards his face. As the man snarled the words, spittle hit the Doctor's face. It was a toss-up which was worse; the spittle or Moron's foul breath.

The Doctor grinned through threatening tears, and hissed back, without shifting his gaze. "Your Mistress requires mental services, she has NO ship. "

When Moron let go, the Doctor fell to the mattress hissing in relief. His eyes stayed locked on his enemy. He saw the hand rise; still the explosion of pain that hit his face surprised him. The blow hit hard enough to knock him off the mattress. Waves of pain shot through his body. Blood trickled from his ear.

"Where IS her ship?" Moron loved to sound tough. "Playtime is over little man!"

"MY TARDIS is safe from your Mistress. I still win." The Doctor squeaked, spit blood out of his mouth, and grinned at his enemy. The second slap caught him as he tried to push up.

"We'll see; take him!" Moron stood back as the guards grabbed him and dragged him to the 'fun' room.

He forced down a groan as the manacles clamped around his wrists. Pain from his shoulder all but sent him back to unconsciousness. He spit another mouth full of blood, and grinned when his spittle hit Moron's nice, shiny, black boots. He knew that psychopath of a woman was somewhere close by watching when they yanked him up off his feet. It required every ounce of mental strength he had to deny her the pleasure of his screams.

"Hello Doctor." That evil, child murdering voice burned in his brain.

Lifting his head felt like lifting the TARDIS. Someday, he would make this woman pay.

"Doctor, I can make the pain stop. This will all go away. You will get medical care, and go free. You - just need to give me the TARDIS. Give me what I want." The cold, sweet tone made his skin crawl with disgust.

"Go to Bloody Hell !" He wanted to scream the words, but his tongue wouldn't work.

"Where IS the ship ?"

"Suck eggs and die." Now that was a witty comeback. He spit more blood out of his mouth. Must have bit my tongue, was the silliest, most surreal thought he'd had in a while.

The Doctor watched the man pick up a two-foot long paddle with holes. He could hear the paddle whistle as Moron took practice swings before smacking it across the back of his legs and backside. Blood filled his mouth from his jaws clamping down on his tongue. His eyes burned with tears from unendurable pain, but he swallowed the screams that wanted to tear from his soul. He sucked lungs full of air as the next blow hit him. Black spots danced in his vision. It hit again. He twisted and tried to kick away, only to have the chains rip at his wrists, yanking his already damaged shoulder.

"Is that ship really worth all this pain Doctor?"

"Why ?" Came the barely audible, pain filled words.

"Why what, Doctor?"

He recognized the sound of impending victory in her voice. "Why my ship?" He forced the words out. His lungs burned; his hearts pounded in his ears.

"Your ship gives me access to everything I want Doctor. You teach me how it works, and the pain will stop."

"You want to use my ship to do what, steal across the universe; across time ?" His words were barely understandable.

"Why?" He just had to stall a few seconds giving his brain a chance to deal with the pain.

"Because I can, Doctor. Why else do you think?" she said smugly.

"My ship, my TARDIS, " he answered as he spat out a mouthful of blood, "is where you will never touch her !"

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Moron with a pain stick. He wasn't sure where this one came from. It didn't matter. It was going to hurt like bloody hell.

"Senda!" he whispered at him. "Invelan Flayara!" he growled in Gallifreyan. "Malphian Tach!"

The pain stick hit between his shoulder blades, sending his body into contortions, arching him backwards. His legs drew up, and then went rigid. Before he could straighten, it hit again. And again. And again. He didn't know how many times it hit. His hearts felt as if they would explode ; blood ran from his nose. He was no longer aware of the room or even the pain. All he heard was the woman's laughter. It burned in his brain as his eyes rolled back in his head, and the blackness took him.

"Should I wake him, Mistress?"

"No, he does have extraordinary will power, doesn't he? Make sure the medic fixes his shoulder. Let the girl clean him, and then give him the new drug. If we can't get it out of him with that, break him for sale. The Continuum will be angry, but at least I can get money for him from the Pleasure Palace. Once he's broken, he'll make an excellent toy for them - - for as long as he lasts. "

o0o

The two young guards outside his cell had developed a profound respect for the young man who suffered so much at the hands of their boss. Since the day the Mistress murdered the child, her lead guard took special delight in beating him, usually several times a day. The young guards were amazed their charge stood up to everything the Mistress ordered. He steadfastly refused to bend. Even when they drugged him, he just acted pissed, resulting in a worse beating. This time, the two hauled him back to his cell, wondering how much longer he could survive r and how much longer they could watch his suffering. Every time they brought him back from what their boss called play time, he was unconscious. Now, they dropped him on the mattress with a little less force than in the past. They were careful not to drop him on his shoulder. Not sure why, neither man had it in them to add to his pain. They left him on the mattress and let the little servant girl in to care for him.

K'Nar gasped when she saw him. It felt like days since they had let her in. Each telepathic conversation that she'd had, he sounded more muddled and tired. But for almost two days they kept her so busy that she couldn't even talk to him through their connection. She had scanned the mind of her favourite guard as he escorted her to the far side of the mansion for cleaning duties and knew they'd left him alone.

_Why had they hurt him again?_ K'Nar wanted to scream the question at the guard, but she didn't. They would make the young Lord suffer more. He was on his side, facing the wall, oblivious to anyone entering. She placed her supplies on the floor, knelt beside him and brushed his hair back. When she saw his face, she could not stop her own tears. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth from his chewed up tongue. Bruising spread across his damaged shoulder, his wrists were black from pulling against the chains. Even unconscious, he pulled away from the slightest touch. Unaware that he was whimpering ; his body trembled from pain and shock. The liniment was long gone, but she dipped the flannel into cold water and gently wiped the blood from his face and ear. It seemed to take forever before he turned his face toward her, recognition coming back into his eyes

"Numi Tiar, K'Nar," he whispered the slurred words.

Confused, she pulled a face. "I don't understand, my Lord. "

"Na Kach, Neimar. " He couldn't grasp why she didn't understand him.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I don't understand." She answered as she continued to wipe his bruised and battered body.

Every touch brought him more pain. She closed her eyes to find the link she had left and found him reeling. She pushed through the agony bathing his mind in peace as she went trying to give him a sense of calm. Next, she helped to trigger his pain control. Slowly, as his own endorphins kicked in, he began to calm; his breathing steadied, and the trembling stopped. Instinctively , he tried to scoot closer; to find shelter and comfort in her.

"K'Nar, water," he finally whimpered softly.

"My Lord, can you understand me now?" She held his head to swallow. It dribbled out the side of his mouth.

He tried to nod, but it required too much effort.

"My ship, K'Nar, they are going to find my ship." His words tumbled out disconnected and full of pain. "I'm not strong enough. It hurts too much. I can't let them take my ship. She is all I have, K'Nar. I can't do this anymore." He sounded so tired.

"Help me. Please. I am asking properly. I need to save my ship. I want to go home. I want to go home." The thick slurred words were difficult to understand. He continued to muttering as he struggled to keep his eyes open, "River, let's go home now. I want to go home. I don't want to play anymore."

K'Nar forced herself not to break down. She tried to soothe him, but his pain was too much. The sound of his shaking voice was all she needed to make her decision. She'd kept the law by convincing her evil captors that she was mind-blind. She had even talked with her mouth, something that no normal Vshak did. She'd tolerated the hideous shapes the Mistress forced her to assume to keep her abilities secret. She suffered it all; to obey the law. Now, she would break those sacred laws to save him and protect his precious ship.

She could do this. She would do this.

She and her fellow students had all practiced image sharing in class. She already had gone much further than those silly lessons. Only the most elite healers with years of training could enter someone's mind and brain and alter its memories and structures It meant jail for anyone else to try, but surely the Leaders and her parents would understand.

K'Nar stroked his head as she tried to sort through her conflicted feelings. Her parents would be so disappointed in her, but they would forgive her. Wouldn't they? She swallowed as he groaned in pain. His pain added to her resolve. Going to jail would be worth it if it saved her young Lord. K'Nar realised that was what he had become - her young Lord. _Besides_, she reasoned, _I have already broken the law. First when I bolstered your walls and then when I planted ideas in the weak minds of the guards . Might as well make going to jail worth it. Forgive me, GRVA, she prayed before becoming a criminal to help him._

"Close your eyes, my Lord," she whispered, "I will help you."

K'Nar stepped into his mind, sending stronger waves of peaceful energy, relaxing what was left of his walls. She moved through his mind with ease. Tightly closed doors were opening, letting her see pain filled memories of wars fought long ago. This man who looked so young had memories extending back almost a thousand years. Different faces, all with the same painful memories.

In his own way he was as much a shape shifter as any Vshakian.

K'Nar made a quick decision. Memories of human friends from a place called Earth shone like a beacon of light in the darkness. He'd spent lifetimes there, cherishing everything from its blue sky and single sun to its people. The planet was his home now, and its defense against aliens and renegade humans was his life's work.

K'Nar pushed harder, hiding more chaotic and painful memories from him. Faces of his recent friendships ran deep through his heart. She saw three faces smiling and laughing with him. They shined brighter than the others. He loved them and expected them to save him. That they hadn't come for him, left him confused, and scared that something had gone wrong. She hid the memories of his friends and their planet to keep them safe from the monsters.

So much heartache and guilt ruled his life. K'Nar inhaled sharply, stunned to discover that he actually thought that he deserved what was happening. There were so many sad and horrific memories. She locked them all away, where they couldn't hurt him anymore. K'Nar pushed through, finding happier memories hiding in the shadows. She covered them with thick blankets, and hid those as well. When they were both far away from this place, when he was stronger ... she would help him to remember.

She pushed deeper, discovering his secret name. Long, complicated and too difficult to remember, it grew bright as his mind responded to her presence. K'Nar remembered he couldn't tell his real name. Still, she couldn't resist the urge to look closer as it vibrated. K'Nar chided herself for getting distracted and forced herself to pushed deeper. His childhood nickname and name from Earth stood out. She combined the two into one name and emboldened its imprint with her own red energy. Finally, in the deepest recesses of his mind, she found the shelter his mind had carefully constructed to protect a mysterious blue box. Despite his willingness to die to save this strange box, the sanctuary was fading. Two - maybe three more sessions with Moron, the shelter would collapse, and he would tell them everything they wanted to know.

K'Nar laid her hand on the box's door; power pulsed through her. It was alive; how could it be alive? It sang to him, sheltered and protected him as much, perhaps even more than he, it. She could hear its strange song coming from inside. She jumped when the door swung opened to let her in. How could this box be a ship ? An elevated glass floor and strange console stood in te middle with stair cases leading off each side. Stairs led underneath the glass floor where cables jumbled together feeding up into the console. A swing seat hung in the centre of the cables, like an infant bouncy. It dangled close to a silver container filled with a dark fluid. K'Nar felt the container's strange power tickle her mind like a half-heard song. Common sense told her not to touch, but she couldn't resist. The electrical shock that coursed through jolted her attention back to her mission; reminding her that this was not the time to explore this miraculous blue box. Too much time spent in a meld was dangerous. They would be discovered, and that was a risk she couldn't take.

Its bond to him was almost overwhelming. Special memories and faces hid in this box. K'Nar smiled. Now she understood. Stepping back out, she immediately began putting up gold walls. She surrounded the ship with chains, fastening them securely to the rock face. K'Nar hid everything except its name. If they did break him, that would be all he could remember, and it would no longer mean anything.

K'Nar pulled out slowly, re-enforcing the memories that would allow him to hide in peace on Earth. She found the coordinates for the planet and locked them in her own memory. His biology was different from humans. Her friend L'Wen had birth anomalies, but she still looked Vshakian. Her young Lord looked human. His differences must be the same. She implanted memories of the cause of his differences. She found his memories of something called an aspirin allergy. She didn't know what aspirin was, but she did know what an allergy was so she enhanced that memory. She left the memory of his nickname and his name on Earth. Everything else she hid: his friends, his home world, his ability to change faces, even his ability to travel across the stars. She tucked away every memory that caused him pain. When he was no longer in danger, she would help his memories return.

K'Nar imagined his body as a human. She saw the areas of his brain that had the most activity. She had scanned enough humans lately to know those areas were not human, so she altered the electrical flow. She was proud when she got them to turn themselves off. She turned off everything not relevant to his survival. Any one who found him would believe that he was an injured human. She strengthened their telepathic connection leaving it so strong that no matter where he was, he could call to her and she to him. She protected and engrained the memory of her voice to make sure he would recognise her regardless of her appearance. If needed, she could calm him from a distance. As she withdrew from his mind, she encased his shields with bolts of red energy and triggered a stronger release of endorphins to help control his pain. Her last act strengthened his shields and increased his ability to control his fear. She felt him grow stronger and begin to resist her presence. He tried to push her out, so she withdrew, leaving him to come back to reality. In all, she had spent less than five minutes inside his head, with no one the wiser.

K'Nar finished cleaning him and then tucked the blanket around him to make sure he was warm. His eyes opened with a confused, but she could see that his defiance had come back.

"Nemiar, K'Nar, Neimiar." he said weakly. He was too knackered to stay awake, and seconds later, his eyes drifted closed.

K'Nar kissed his forehead gently, brushed his hair aside just as the guard returned to take her out. Time was running out, and there was much to do to carry out the plan formulating in the back of her head.

She was going to save her Lord. She was going to save them both.

* * *

><p>AN Gallifreyan words are from Time Lady online site I have never found the person who actually invented these, but she is brilliant and I thank her. She inspired me to come up with a few on my own.

Senda ...animal

Numi Tiar ...Hello

Nemiar ... Thank you

Na Kach... water

Invelan Flayara ... I spit fire at you

Malphian ' Tach ...I curse you


	7. Chapter 7 Hang on You Are About to Dance

The Doctor opened his eyes to find himself lying in the dark. Once his eyes adjusted, he realised the blurry thing in front of him was a cold, gray concrete wall. Something was different; his brain didn't f eel right. He felt thick and disconnected from his surroundings. A sledgehammer inside his head sat behind his right eye pounding the inside of his skull making rational thought hard. The throbbing was severe enough that it made him nauseous. He stared at the wall, afraid that if he moved, he would lose control of his stomach. He tried to remember what he was doing in this place. A sudden need to cough brought his predicament back in all its excruciating glory. He was sitting in a prison where the keepers had a penchant for beating the universe out of him.

A muscle spasm sent fire shooting down into his fingertips, forcing him to move; to do something to relieve the deep ache. He counted to ten, drew a breath and pushed himself up, hissing as pain shot through his body. He grinned when he made it upright. It was a small victory. Now all he needed to do was find a way to force reason back in his muddled head. A small chip in the concrete wall directly in front of him provided a focus point to clear his thinking.

Something must have brought him here, but he couldn't quite remember what. It danced on the edges of his consciousness. They wanted something... His ship ... they wanted his ship. He remembered sending Sexy away - - for help. But she'd been gone too long. The old girl had a habit of not being reliable, but this was ridiculous. Maybe something happened to her, and she wasn't or couldn't come back. He'd sent for Amy and Rory, he remembered that. He had trouble picturing them in his head. They were like a half forgotten dream. Even if they came, it might not be too late. He still had hope, but it was so long now.

Maybe he'd whacked his head during his last training session? That certainly would explain the headache, but the effort to think just made the pain worse. He felt his anxiety growing. He had to hide that from K'Nar. He'd promised to take her home, and there was no need to scare her. At least, no matter what happened to him, Sexy was safe and far away from the clutches of the psychopathic bitch and Moron. Without his link, the ship would take herself into the vortex or land on a dusty planet and shut herself down. Either way, she was safe. That's all that mattered. God, thinking was hard.

Someone refilled his water cup and set it by the end of the mattress. All he had to do now was reach the damn thing. It was a lovely gesture, but they could have set it closer. He inhaled as deeply as possible and began the effort to reach the cup. Pain shot through his jaw as he unconsciously gritted his teeth, but he had the cup. The simple success made him feel as if he'd driven off a Dalek invasion. In the end, it was worth the effort just to get the nasty taste out of his mouth. The effort left his exhausted, which was annoying.

He leaned back, sipped the cold liquid, and tried to focus on clearing the fog from his brain. He was falling into a bout of fatalism, and that wouldn't do. What he needed was a cold shower to chase the cobwebs out. Lack of sleep mixed with constant pain was making it difficult to keep things straight. That's what this muddled feeling was: lack of sleep messing with his thinking. In the beginning, they'd caught him asleep once. He wasn't ready for them then, but now ... Now, he didn't sleep; at least not if he could help it. Somehow, it was comforting to know they couldn't surprise him anymore. His fear was under better control knowing that he couldn't be surprised. Sooner, or later, rescue would happen or the psychopath and her minions would go too far.

Dying might not be so bad. At some point he just would go to sleep, and not wake up. Maybe it would be peaceful. Everybody had to die sometime.

He felt K'Nar's presence brush gently against his mind. The brief touch flooded him with relief that she was safe. These were the moments he lived for now. The brief encounters with a remarkable child who, for some reason, fed his soul. She sent a surge of energy, reassuring him that she was okay and begged him to sleep. He closed his eyes against the headache and promised her one more time: they would find some way out of this place. He would find a way to get her home. The mental touch broke when he heard them.

The sudden onslaught of light in his cell blinded him and sent his stomach rolling. Footsteps were coming. The muscles of his jaws twitched. Despite his efforts to keep up control, his body reacted in anticipation of the pain that he knew was coming. He inhaled sharply, forcing the contents of his stomach down. He wasn't sure if he could take much more from Moron. He turned to watch the malignant human and his friend enter his cell. One of them carried a chair. Maybe they decided to redecorate this wretched place. The Doctor memorised their faces, quietly deciding how much he would enjoy killing them. He didn't bother to resist when they forced him on the chair.

"Hold him tight," Moron's friend growled, "he won't like it."

"IN Velan Flayara !" the Doctor spat, reverting to Gallifreyan as hands dug into his shoulder. Most of what he spoke to these creatures was in his native language.

Moron held him tight. The man's odour filled the Doctor's nostrils. He couldn't see anything, but wall as his enemy locked his head, preventing him from moving. The stranger dug his hand into the Doctor's dislocated shoulder, grabbed his left arm, and yanked. The pain made him gag, but his shoulder didn't move. The second time the man twisted and then yanked; his shoulder popped back into place. It happened so fast, all the Doctor could do was go limp, and slide to the floor overwhelmed by pain.

"This is a new one, little man," Moron said as he pressed a hypo-spray against the Doctor's neck and injected a hallucinogenic into his system. I am looking forward to watching this, little man. This will be fun. Hang on now, you're about to dance. " Moron snarled in his ear.

The two men laughed. It would be fun to watch the Mistress finish breaking this one.

o0o

Time travel through the vortex was a wibbly wobbly mode of travel. Five minutes in the vortex could mean weeks on a planet and weeks in the vortex could be seconds on a planet. It was the disadvantage of using an outdated museum piece for time travel. She materialised back in the same spot where he'd left her. Only the weather was different. River triple checked the discrepancy three times before deciding the ship's anxiety somehow affected her directional unit. For the TARDIS, 75 hours had passed since Thief left her on Regulus lV. But over three weeks had passed on Regulus IV. He'd spent three weeks in the hands of someone doing only God knows what to him. River's environmental scans showed cold, late fall weather setting in and announced everyone should bundle up. Well, except for Jack. Apparently, he dressed ready for a change in any weather. The TARDIS scanned for Thief's life signs, immediately bathing the console room in mauve and ringing the cloister bells. She sent the message to her humans in Gallifreyan. This time River didn't have to explain it for the others. They knew what she said.

_Find My Thief ! They Are Hurting Him_ !

Jack laid a hand on the console. The ship's fear was one more reminder of her torture on-board the Valiant. Even then, when she did communicate telepathically, it was with disjointed images. Now, she screamed at them through her translation circuits straight into their heads, giving them headaches. For Amy and Rory, it was becoming a bit much, leaving them increasing anxious and short tempered. Even with better control of their mental shields, Jack and River weren't much better.

"I'll get him back, Old Girl. I promise. You have to calm down, though. Turn the bells off. It makes it kind of hard to think." The TARDIS turned the bells off. She trusted this human. She trusted all her humans.

Jack dropped his head in relief, refocused and turned to face River and the Ponds.

"Before we take another step, I need to know what I'm walking into and why. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you three have a serious history. I've got a feeling that whatever it is, its extremely relevant to whatever he walked into. Tell me what happened."

Rory glanced over at the two women in his life. Both women were tight-lipped and staring slightly above Jack's shoulder. He made a pragmatic decision. They weren't going to get anywhere if they didn't cooperate. Risking Amy's and River's wrath, Rory took a deep breath through his nose, and decided to catch him up. He had no choice. Anything else was unfair and would jeopardize getting the Doctor back.

"Amy and I travelled with the Doctor. We even spent our wedding night on the TARDIS." Rory snorted. "She got pregnant," he said as he flashed a tired, sad smile toward the two women that he loved. He reached for Amy's hand as he continued. "She was kidnapped by ... we don't know them well enough to explain them, I guess."

"They call themselves: The Silence," Amy said bitterly.

"The Silence," Rory agreed, and saw River nod. "And a woman named Kovarian. Funny," Rory said softly, "I don't choke up anymore. Any way, the Doctor swore to get them back. I went with him as we gathered some - associates," Rory continued, "and then we went after my wife and my baby. We had an army and a plan that took us to a rock called Demons Run. We rescued Amy, but our daughter was lost, taken by Kovarian." He took a breath and smiled at River.

"That was four almost five months ago. The Doctor sent us home, and he's been chasing Kovarian and our daughter ever since. He kept us up until a few weeks ago, and then we stopped hearing from him. I don't know why the TARDIS came to you, I don't. I thought, after Demons Run, she trusted me - trusted us. Maybe, she thinks it's too much for us. Maybe, she thinks - I don't know what she thinks. I do know; he's our friend."

Jack blew out a long breath and rubbed the back of his head before he looked at Rory in sympathy. " Your baby, is that the Melody on the hologram?"

"Yes. "

"I am so sorry; I truly am. I guess, that explains why he looked so worn out. What about you ?" Jack looked at River. " Why were you in Stormcage ?"

"Tax evasion!" River answered icily. " Now, are we ready to go get him out of here!"

Jack shook his head. River was undeniably one for the books. " I understand that you have issues with me. Lots of people do. I get that you wish the TARDIS didn't come to me, but she did. I need to know; can you put it aside, so we can work together to get him back?"

River locked eyes with Jack. "There's something wrong about you. I don't know what it is yet, but I will find out. I don't understand why she went to you, either. Believe me, I asked. Usually, the old girl shows me whatever I need, but she has gone quiet about you." River's voice was low and angry. "Getting him back, safe and in one piece, is all that matters. The TARDIS must think we can't do it without you. She trusts you so, I will cooperate with your plans for as long as I am sure we will succeed. But, if you betray him, I will kill you!"

"River!" Both Amy and Rory laid a hand on her trembling shoulder. Neither knew what was happening between the stranger and their daughter, but the temperature in the ship just dropped twenty degrees.

Jack just smiled, but when he spoke his tone was cold.. "Well, you're not the first to point out how wrong I am. I think... we understand each other. You can threaten me all you like, but get in my way; it works both ways."

When he looked at the young woman next to River, his voice softened. " Amy, I know how it feels to lose a child. What about you? I mean, are you going to be okay?"

Amy took her daughter's hand. "Captain, I've lost all I intend to lose," she said firmly.

Jack nodded in understanding and then pointed to River's hip. "You know how use that thing ?"

"Quite well actually," River answered testily. "I never miss!"

"Good, glad to know it's not a fashion accessory, what about you two ?"

"Uh, we're both good with short swords. I've already stored them, but I can handle small arms as well. " He sighed with relief that the ship toned her distress down. His headache began to ease off. " I brought a phase pistol as a last resort. " he finished.

"What, you have a what?" Both River and Amy's snapped their heads towards him. "Rory, destroying a Dalek is a little different from shooting people," Amy whispered with a wary eye on Jack.

"Amy, really, You don't think I haven't killed people trying to save you? We fought a bloody war. " Rory snapped at both. " Sometimes you two act like you're the only ones that care ! Maybe that's why the TARDIS got Jack !" He turned back to Jack. " Now, have we got a plan ?"

River and Amy were gob-smacked by his reaction. " Right. " They both said together.

Jack watched the three with interest. He had a feeling there was a lot more to Rory than it appeared. " Alright then, I know how he feels about weapons, but we might just to have to shoot somebody to get him out. Let's not shoot each other by accident, okay. "

Ten minutes later with their basic plan agreed on, the companions left the TARDIS, and stepped out into a black, cold, rainy morning. Before descending the knoll, Jack made sure everyone could use their earwigs properly. River pulled a face at his request, but complied for the sake of harmony. She gave one last, loving pat to the ship before they headed into town. The town, or at least this section, was just beginning to start their day. A few houses had lights on ; residents were just beginning their day. It would be dawn soon, darkness was already giving way to the greys of the early morning. Jack took a breath, handed Rory a bio scanner and flashed a cheeky smile before sending River and Rory to the right side of the street. Amy held an identical scanner and joined Jack on the left. It seemed silly to have two, but the backup was an extra precaution that gave Amy something to focus on besides her fear and guilt.

T hey moved through town, memorising landmarks; watching for anything or anyone who could be a threat. The Doctor's bio- signs grew stronger the further they moved into the little town. Knowing that he was alive was a relief, but the scanner didn't show his condition. Thirty minutes later, they found themselves on the north edge of town outside a large compound. Tucked into a hillside, surrounded by a grove of trees and a force field, it consisted of large main house and three smaller buildings. The only section not shielded was the heavily guarded front entrance.

Three of the buildings showed multiple bio signs while the fourth was for some sort of storage. River honed her scanner, and several seconds later they located his bio signs in the building just to the left of the main house. It killed them to be this close, and not able to do anything. Made out of reinforced concrete, t he buildings could withstand almost any physical assault. That made getting The Doctor out difficult. Getting in would be interesting. It would require either an aerial assault, or a way to take out the shields. Somehow, jumping from a stolen hover transport didn't seem a workable plan.

Hover transports arrived at regular period; Jack recognised at least one alien he'd met years earlier on some backwater space station while running cons. The person was a known sex trade salesman from the 52nd century. Whatever was going on in that place, Jack knew the players weren't there for tea. Getting the Doc out was not going to be easy to begin with, and it looked like things just got harder. The men in that compound would kill without mercy.

"This is not good, guys. There are some very bad people going in there. I met one of the men strutting that compound on Letiaia 3, and believe me, he is not a nice man. I'm picking up vortex signatures. River, are you getting these energy readings?" Jack's scan of the force field meant cutting through would not be easy. .

"Yes, they must have one hell of a generator. Jack, I recognised at least one of the men going in there. He's a gun runner from Neveia Prime."

"Yeah, I've spotted a couple I know too. Take Rory around the side. " Stick to the shrubs and buildings for cover, and stay out of sight of their CCTV scanners. They pick up a flea. Amy and I will take the other side. Be careful. Look out for any signs of weakness in this thing. We'll meet at the back of the compound by the tree line. Amy and I will take the other side. The generator has to be close. Be careful, we can't afford getting caught now," Jack instructed.

"Here's hoping it's not as heavily guarded as the front. Try to avoid any guards. I don't want any alarms going up, before we're close enough to grab him. " River added .

The three nodded, and then split up to make their way around the perimeter. Minutes later, they pushed through thick underbrush and began climbing the steep hill. It was easy to see why the compound owners liked this spot. Only the most determined would choose this route to launch an attack against the place. Halfway up, Jack disappeared, leaving Amy to finish the climb alone. River found the generator, and watched as Rory scouted for any cameras covering the back of the compound. He heard Amy crunching through the thick bed of leaves, as she finished the climb and headed to meet her. He was glad to have his wife back in his arms.

"Where's Jack." He tried to hide his annoyance that she finished the climb through the trees alone. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her in close and nuzzled her hair.

"He spotted something in the tree line - River?" Amy leaned in to his hug.

"She's at the generator, trying to find a way to get past the shields," he replied softly.

"She can't. " Jack interjected when he came up behind the startled young couple. " River get over here," He spoke into his earpiece, "We're leaving now."

Four minutes later an enraged River joined Jack and her parents in the trees. " Who do you do you think you are ? How dare you give me - orders as if I'm some sort of an idiot !" She hissed; her fingers clenched to keep from slapping Jack across the face.

"Before you go all Rambo on me, look up. This place is under surveillance. Cops, or at least what passes for cops in this town, are hidden up in the trees." Jack swallowed hard, trying to control his temper. "I spotted them while I watched a hover transport land. Now, under normal circumstances, I don't mind pissing off the law, but we need them. That compound is getting crowded with the dregs of the universe. They are up to something big." His voice raised a notch. "The only way we're getting in and out alive is to get in there with the police. Now - are you coming?" he snapped.

Rory caught up to him in three long steps.

"Bloody hell, mate! Can you teach me to do that for when Amy goes on a tear?" he grinned and put an arm on Jack's shoulder, "It's the tone; I need to practice the tone."

Jack chuckled softly. " You don't have it in you, kid. You are the calm, cool one. I'm surprised you snapped at ' em on the ship. What has River got against me ? I'm exceptionally good at charming women. Why is she really in Stormcage ?"

"I don't know." Rory liked the man, but he wasn't telling him everything. " If you ask, she'll just say 'spoilers ' , and leave you hanging. Protecting timelines is a big deal with her."

"Well, they're important to me too, but jeesh, she needs to give it a rest. I'm tired of the glares. Who is she to the Doc ?"

"The Doctor and River chase each other up across time lines always one step out of synch with each other. Her past is his future sort of thing. If I think about it too much, it gives me a headache. They have diaries that they synch when they meet up. Depending on the day, they love each other, or he can't stand her, but she always loves him. He flirts with her a lot, though, even on the days they don't like each other. It's like watching two predators circling each other. Weird."

Jack chuckled. If there was anything that he understood, it was flirting and screwed-up time lines. Even so, for the life of him, he couldn't see the Doctor flirting with anyone except Rose. He definitely couldn't see him flirting with her.

Walking behind them, both women were lost in their thoughts. Amy reached out and took River's hand. " Why don't you like Jack ?"

River looked at her mother. " You know in the middle of the night when Rory tells you things?"

Amy snorted, "Actually, that's what I usually do."

River gave her mother a tight smile. She had come back twenty-five years in their timeline, but hearing about parental pillow talk was not a discussion she'd meant to start. "Right, anyway; one night the Doctor told me a story about Torchwood and why it was formed. He told me what led to Canary Wharf and the girl he ... Thousands of people died that day. That mess wouldn't have happened, if not for Torchwood's arrogance. Jack heads what remains of that organization. No matter, how much he says he loves my Doctor; I just don't trust him." River replied, with more venom than she intended.

"I remember that; the news said it was a terrorist attack."

"I guess, in a way it was."

"This mess is my fault." Amy said quietly.

"Mother?" River only used the word, when outsiders couldn't hear.

"If I hadn't blamed him for Kovarian taking you, this wouldn't have happened. You were right. I called every day, ten times a day demanding to know how he was doing. I pushed him, keeping him emotional. He's rubbish when he's on his own anyway and worse when he lets himself get emotional. Trouble is, I wanted to raise you, not have you come back on your time line, be my friend, then turn out to be my daughter. It's just too weird. I did try to make him change it, and this is what happens. You were right to be angry with me. This is my fault."

"I'm so sorry, I lost my temper. None of this was supposed to happen. I tried to stop our lives from changing, but it's changing anyway. " River said quietly , " I don't understand what the Silence wants, or how much they've manipulated this, but please, Mother, when we get him back, please understand this is my life, and I don't want it changed." She chuckled softly. " Jack is still a git, though. "

They all grew quiet when they entered the town to find the local police.

o0o

"Fire, I am on fire. "

The Doctor's eyes snapped open.

"No- No-No" he cried, clawing at his face, feeling every cell in his body exploding.

Oblivious to the pain, he jumped up, staring in horror at his hands, " not here, not here, " he cried, terrified. He was regenerating. He could not do that, not here. Not in this place.

He expected to see the golden energy of the process flowing out of his hands enveloping his body ; instead, waves of red and purple swirled and danced around him.

The burning energy consumed him.

He was imploding. He backed against the wall, trying desperately to brush the fire away from his scorched skin. The burning stopped, and he started to giggle at the kaleidoscope of colours swirling into pictures, only to realise it was his TARDIS.

They'd blown up his TARDIS, and he couldn't save her. He didn't know how to save her.

Colours bent, spinning around him. Terror filled his soul as he watched his beloved ship die.

He fell to his knees. The energy formed into a blur of pictures. Someone was screaming at him in Gallifreyan.

_"Hei Masei Senda, Panthlo, Theta, Panthlo Shina'!"_

" She ' ba, Koschei, She'ba, " he whimpered, " She'ba. "

His head snapped up, looking almost feral. " Krva ' Styg, Koschei. "

Melody lay in his arms, smiling and cooing and then her face melted, turning to slime; running through his fingers. He couldn't stop the screams that ripped from his soul. He killed her; he killed Melody.

Koschei danced around in glee watching his childhood friend self-destruct.

The Doctor watched Rose disappear into the void her face contorted in death then blended into River plugging into the library only to have the building explode around her. The building morphed in to Gallifrey, turning to molten lava. He watched, in horror, as his family caught fire and burned. They all burned. Everything burned.

No matter how he turned, the colours swirled around him like oil through water. Koschei's body lay on the funeral pyre, but he rose in flames laughing at the Doctor.

Incessant, insane laughter filled his ears while pictures swirled around him; morphing into a kaleidoscope of destruction. He clamped his hands over his ears in a vain effort to shut the sounds out, but his brain burned more.

"Doctor...?"

His face twisted, his brain tried to figure out where the owner of that voice could be. Gone was the look of terror. Feral rage replaced every emotion that had come before.

The colours were a whirlwind now; threatening to swallow him whole.

'Invelan Flayara!" he snarled back at the voice.

"My ship, Doctor, where is my ship?"

"Krva ' Styg !"

"Tell me Doctor. I know you understand me. I will make the pain go away. "

"El Se'tan a Panto !" he snarled at the voice, standing back up. He would kill that voice.

His gut clenched in spasms as waves of nausea swept through him. Fire spewed up from his stomach burning his mouth. Sweat poured off his body, as it worked overtime to rid the drug from his system.

He was so ready to die.

o0o

K'Nar stood at the entrance to the guest quarters of the mansion, watching the Mistress ' visitors arrive all morning by hover transport, or by transmat. At least three came by vortex manipulator. These were her most ruthless guests, unable to travel in the open.

They were evil men who terrified her, but they held the key to her escape plan. K'Nar ushered her assigned charges to their quarters, and paid close attention to where they left the precious manipulators. She left the last room and headed for the servants quarters when overwhelming pain hit her behind her eyes. K'Nar couldn't stop the gasp, and reached for the wall for support.

Her shields immediately upped a notch to shut out the painful intrusion. Grateful to the Gods that she was alone, K'Nar stepped into an empty hallway and closed her eyes.

The young Lord lay curled into a ball; screaming in the language she could not understand. His mind, ravished by drugs, was filled with horrific pictures, shattering like a piece of glass. His body jerked in spasms in an effort to rid itself of the poison. His terror nearly drowned her soul.

_Stop my Lord! Stop, find me now!_ She ordered.

K'Nar reached out to his mind, but found it almost impossible to navigate. She pushed past the storm, finally finding his child-self curled up next to his box, screaming.

_Give me your hand now, my Lord. My hand, Lord take my hand. I will pull you to safety!_

The child held his hand out, and she lunged; pulling him to the safety of her arms. She placed her hands at his temples;_ sleep, Lord, sleep now._

She felt the Doctor gasp for air as he vomited.

_Sleep now, Lord,_ she repeated softly. I am coming for you soon. I promise.

She felt his mind go blank, encompassed by darkness, and knew he had passed out. Her heart was still pounding when she opened her eyes. They were running out of time. She had to find a way to get him out tonight, or they would kill him.

"Please, Goddesses." she whispered. "Please, help me."

o0o

**_A/N_**

**_Hei Mase Senda -you are an animal_**

**_Invelan Flayra -I spit fire at you_**

**_Krva ' Styg -Fear me_**

**_Panthlo -die_**

**_Shena ' - now_**


	8. Chapter 8 Cops and Companions

Tiny particles of dust floated in the early morning sunbeams filtering through the Borel Justice Centre's dirty windows. C'Kuk M'Tarle focused her attention on the dust suspended in those beams feeling very much that they symbolised her life. She was floating; settling for a job that was going nowhere fast. She was nothing more than a glorified file clerk in a uniform. Watching dust settle was a better use of her time than filing the last three days of reports left for her by her boss. The Chief Inspector had taken a team of officers out for an early morning stakeout. It wasn't fair. She always had to stay behind when Chief Inspector planned his surveillance details or went on special assignments. It didn't seem to matter to her boss that she graduated top of her class. But nooo, it was always: next time C'Kuk, you need a little more training. C'Kuk, you didn't score high enough on your weapons exam. C'Kuk ; try again next time .

C'Kuk filed the station's paper work, poured herself a cup of neshema and plopped into the chair behind the reception desk. Lost in sullen thoughts the last thing she expected or needed to deal with picked that moment to walk into her station.

Four humans looking tired and out of sorts.

One of them probably managed to get themselves rolled. C'Kuk thought as she stood up and smiled; hoping they bought her fake sincerity. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, we need some help to report a kidnapping." A hawk-nosed male answered intently as the group approached the desk.

"You want to report a what?" Humans were so dramatic; it was infuriating.

"A kidnapping. A friend of ours was taken against his will." Now the other three were behind the one with the nose.

"I'm sorry; no one is here, but I can fill out a report for you. You'll have to wait for an officer to interview you."

"What do you mean, there's no one here. This is a police station; a Justice Centre , isn't it? How can no one be here ?" The second man stepped up to the desk.

C'Kuk had no intention of feeling threatened by these humans. The taller man was good-looking and he did have an exceptionally nice coat, so she focused on the fact that her Dad would look great in that coat. These humans could have at least introduced themselves, but they were humans and well, she knew what humans were like. Rude.

"Hey! Focus." Coat's stern voice snapped her back from her reverie.

"Look, the day shift is out on patrol, and my boss is out taking care of something. He'll be back when he's done. I can fill out the report and call him. That's the best I can do for the moment." The four humans looked at each other with looks of frustration bordering on hysterical - at least that was C'Kuk's take on their attitudes.

"Fill out a form to save a life?" The curly-haired female pushed her way past the males. "Bureaucracy at its best. Give me the damn form!" She snarled as she snatched the form.

This one must rule the group, C'Kuk thought, shaking her head in disbelief when the woman had the audacity to grab the paper out of her hand and then stand at her desk all huffy while filling out the report. Curly's hands were shaking with badly restrained rage. The woman's fury radiated off her, making C'Kuk worry these humans might need restraints.

Five minutes later, paperwork filled out, the woman thrust the form back. Curly Tops growled, " Our friend is in trouble. Now ... we came here for help, call your boss !"

C'Kuk took the paperwork back, and left the foursome by the desk. She gave them a tight, don't mess with me smile, and called her boss.

The voice on the other end of the connection grated with anger when he answered. " C'Kuk, if a solar flare hasn't burnt the station to the ground, you damn well better have a good reason for calling me." It seemed everybody was mad at her today.

"Dad ?"

"Stop right there! I am not your dad at work. Now, what do you want ?!"

"Sorry... Inspector. Four humans came in to report a taking. They filled a report for a human male who went missing three weeks ago. They claim they know where he is. The coordinates match the compound. They're demanding help the only way annoying humans can."

"Stall them, C'Kuk. They're probably the same four that we saw skulking around earlier. We're going to be a good hour here, and then we'll be back. And

C'Kuk ?"

"Yes, Sir. I'll stall. " She already knew what was coming.

"You ever want field duty, remember my title at work."

"Yes Sir... Chief. "

C'Kuk was a native-born Regulun - an avian species - and stronger than she looked. She was slightly taller than five feet, with delicate humanoid features and feathers that covered everything but her face and hands. She was considered pretty but had a piercing look that could make other species, especially humans, feel as if a predator were about to swoop down to snatch them. It was an excellent method of influence, but she wasn't having much luck with it this morning. Staring them down had not stopped the four restless humans from repeatedly coming to her desk. Patience, let alone waiting, was not something this species seemed capable of. As the minutes clicked past, she developed a neck ache watching them bounce up and down. They reminded her of the naleks that she had raised in school. For what had to be the tenth time, the one with the nose hopped up from his chair and approached her desk with the look of someone who could attack.. Deciding she could take them if they got out of control, she kept her look firm.

"So, I'm just curious. Let's say a person finds himself murdered, do you just tell the victim: I'm really sorry, but we're busy today. We'll get back to you on your murder case." Nose made no effort to hide his sarcasm from her, and it was insulting. "Seriously?" he continued, "Can't you call someone? What if this were someone you loved."

"First of all - - Sir, if that happened, I don't think he could find himself murdered. I have called someone, Sir, three times. And we don't get taken, sir; that's the upside to having our wings." C'Kuk snapped at him.

Coat joined his friend. This human was annoying, too, but did a better job controlling his temper. "The last time you talked to your boss, when did he say someone would help? We came here because we thought it was a better idea than mounting a frontal assault on the place."

"No - we didn't," Curly Tops broke in.

"Look sirs, both of you, all of you - " C'Kuk bristled.

Curly Tops' fist hit the wall, her anger boiling over. " No, you look . We've cooled our heels for two hours! We came here for help. Is this a police station or not? "

"Well actually we call it a Justice Centre. I'm not sure what that police word means. "

Red shouted, " AHHH ! Are all of you this thick ?!"

"Alright," Nose raised his hands to calm things down. "Us getting arrested isn't going to help the Doctor. Everybody - take a breath."

"Wise advice, young man, " A deep, stern voice answered.

The group turned to find a severe, aquiline Regulun crossing the threshold with a group of officers close behind. There was no doubt who was in charge. An imposing figure, this Regulun male, stood a good four inches above Jack and Rory and towered over River and Amy. The half-dozen officers who stood behind him were all younger versions of their boss, and were all dressed in full combat gear. Unlike C'Kuk, there was nothing delicate about this group of officers.

"Well, if it's not our human spies from this morning," his voice deep, it grated with displeasure. "You've upset my receptionist, I don't like that."

River stepped up to the man, craning her neck but giving no quarter. " You must be kidding me. "

The Chief Inspector studied the feisty female in front of him ; a tight smile crossed his face as he made noise in the back of his throat, a cross between a grunt and a grinding noise. Turning abruptly to the men behind him, he handed off his gear to the closest officer . " Put the gear away and run the scans. Let me know if the Princess shows up on any of them. Run the vids through face recognition ; let's see who's come to town. "

Turning back, he studied the humans for a second then headed for his office. " Don't just stand there," he snapped over his shoulder.

Stepping into the small, dingy office, he waved them toward the worn couch. " My name is Chief Inspector Rani H'Tarle. This is my district, I run this station." He dropped down in his chair. "I don't like off-worlders, or anyone for that matter, yelling at my people, especially that girl. I also don't like it when idiots walk into stakeouts and muck them up."

Amy snapped, "We - -"

The Inspector put his hand up. "Stop ! You are extremely lucky I don't arrest you for creating a disturbance in my jail. Now, who are you and what were you doing at that compound. C'Kuk said something about a taking. Who was taken ?"

Jack took a breath, introduced the foursome and dropped the Doctor's photo on the desk. He stabbed a finger at the picture. " This man came here looking for someone and then disappeared. This morning, we tracked his bio-signs to the compound you were staking out. We found it - - too busy to get in on our own. Believe me, If we could , we wouldn't be here. We are here for help, not sarcasm or red tape. We need backup to get him out safely."

H'Tarle shrugged nonchalantly. "What makes you think he wants out ?" he asked as he handed the picture back to Jack.

"He came here looking for my daughter," Amy said, her tone dangerously thick. "He sent us a message that if we didn't hear from him in 72 hours, he would need our help."

"And, this is what - - hour 73?" H'Tarle's voice practically dripped with sarcasm.

"Try three weeks. Unfortunately, he wasn't specific about where he was on this planet" Amy responded angrily.

"We scanned the compound to make sure he's there. He is, and we have every reason to believe he's in serious trouble, " River interjected.

"Who is he?"

"He's known simply as the Doctor. " Rory answered, " And, he's our friend. "

H'Tarle's head came up. " Demons Run Doctor ? The Doctor who travels around the universe pissing people off ?"

"You know of him then ?" River answered sarcastically.

H'Tarle looked up at the curly-headed human. He liked her sassy attitude. " You would be amazed at what I know, Madam. How did you get here ?" He changed the subject. "You aren't on the CCvid at the ports or the landing fields. Did you transmat in or use vortex manipulators ?"

"Does it matter ?" Jack answered hotly.

The Chief made that same grinding noise. "Hmm - - C'Kuk, get in here !"

The receptionist practically leapt into the doorway, " Sir?"

"Three weeks ago, there was a report of a human getting grabbed down in the H'Rau district, remember?"

"Yes, sir."

H'Tarle smiled. The girl was learning. " Could you get the vids for me ? Would have been festival week, I think." H'Tarle watched the four humans standing in his office. They practically twitched with emotion. They did seem to have a modicum of common sense. Humans always acted rashly. Trying to bust someone out of that compound without back up would, in fact, have gotten one, if not all of them killed. Even if they took out the perimeter without being caught, they'd never get past the myriad of inner shields. The guards would be on them before they could get the chance to transmat out. It took weeks for his mole to map out the inner shields and know where to disable them all at the same instant. Saving the Doctor and a princess at one time certainly would up Borel's standing in the province. Maybe they could even get some of the new business coming from off world.

Five minutes later, H'Tarle stood in front of the computer screen with the four humans. They watched the Doctor make his way to and from the café. Not long after leaving, he looked drunk. They watched him grow increasingly disoriented, oblivious to the two figures shadowing him.

"By the time I got a unit there the cameras lost him." H'Tarle told them after the footage ended. "We figured he just got rolled, and was too embarrassed to make a report. It was festival week, and tourists filled the town. That district always gets a bit crazy during festival. It makes our vice investigations difficult. Can I get you folks a drink?"

"I'll take a slug," Jack answered. H'Tarle hadn't missed the human still hadn't sat down. River nodded yes, as well. H'Tarle smiled at her; the human female had great hair. He couldn't help wondering what her hair would feel like in his hand. The thought shocked him. He didn't usually find human women attractive. He swallowed and immediately forced himself back in a professional mode.

"Why were your men at the compound?" Amy asked. H'Tarle looked at the girl. She was the quietest of the bunch; still her fiery hair matched the look in her eyes.

"For some reason, the governments of this planet decided to open up to off-worlders. While the other three continents were blessed with an increase in business and technology, we were stuck with criminals thinking they can set up shop on a new world. We are little less classy than the rest of the planet, you might say. A few months ago, a human female showed up and bought that old compound. The next thing we know, unsavoury humans start showing up, my crime rate goes up, and the bodies of our local criminals start showing up in the canal. Took me a while to link it to her. Tonight I intend to shut her down."

"Who is she?" River asked.

"Her name is Lady NaV0, and she is a piece of work. She runs a crime organisation called the Continuum. They like to stake out newly opened up planets to spread their services. She is smart and knows how to stay in the background. Until I planted a mole inside that compound, I wasn't able to catch her hand in the honey jar. A few weeks ago, the Shadow Proclamation sent word the daughter of the rulers of Vshak had been kidnapped. We think she's inside that place." H'Tarle took a bottle of Regulun Marouk from C'Kuk and filled cups for River and Jack. Rory and Amy were grateful for the drink that passed as coffee. He continued his story as he poured the drinks for River and Jack, smiling at River. He was glad she calmed down a bit.

"Our mole says something big is going down tonight. She's planned a party, and some truly bad humans are showing up. He also said there is a hidden prisoner, but couldn't find out just who. The building he's in has special security shielding. I didn't think it would be the Doctor. That's... well that's a bit nuts even for her. It's not as if you can sell him to the average buyer. He's not known for leading a quiet life. People will know if the gardener is the guy who brought down Colonel Manton from Demons Run. NaVo had to know people would come looking, and the Vshak will hunt the Princess down to the ends of the universe. For her to take such a risk, her leadership position in the Continuum must be in serious danger."

"Who are the Vshak ?" Amy and Rory asked together.

H'Tarle noticed the ease Jack and River slurped the marouk. Most humans, especially females, didn't like his favourite whiskey. He was starting to admire this little group of humans, especially its women; a fiery red-head and a curly top that could drink straight marouck. This little foursome might not be so bad after all.

"Vshakians are the strongest telepaths in this region of space, maybe the galaxy. At least, they are when they are in their natural form. They also shape shift. At their weakest, they beat any other known telepathic race. Princess K'Nar is the only child of the rulers and the next Queen. Imagine having that kind of power," he mused. "Conducting illegal business using a shape-shifting telepath to know and manipulate your opponent."

"Are they all telepaths ?" Amy asked.

"I don't know, but even if she's just a shape shifter it's a big step over the competition," H'Tarle answered.

Jack snorted, " If this woman would risk her position on the questionable abilities of a child, what do you think she would risk getting her hands on the last Time Lord and TARDIS in the universe." Jack helped himself to another drink and sat down hard.

H'Tarle watched the human jump up again. He decided this was a man that he did not want mad at him. In fact, neither he nor Curly Tops were humans to mess with. At least, the day would be interesting with these four around.

The man whirled back around facing H'Tarle. "Why weren't they worried about being seen ?" His voice had an accusatory tone that sent a wave of anger through H'Tarle.

"What ?" he hissed.

"Jack?" Rory cautioned, stepping over ready to get in between if he had to. They were just getting this guy to like them.

"The people coming and going in that compound didn't seem to care that they are under surveillance. Why?"

"If you are implying, Captain Harkness, my people are dirty, you are wrong." H'Tarle growled low in his throat with his fist clenched his fist at his side, he was ready to slug this human.

"I'm not implying anything, but it doesn't make sense that they are so blasé. That place is heavily guarded, yet they didn't seem to care that you're watching them. It makes you wonder what they are hiding in plain sight," Jack said as he chewed his lower lip. "Kind of makes you wonder what they plan to use for escape, doesn't it ? Are there any signs of hidden transport pods in those buildings?" Jack asked.

Great, H'Tarle thought. I'm stuck with a wannabe tactician. To make matters more annoying, he realised Jack was one of those annoying individuals that think out loud. "First, we have spent a long time making sure they think we're stupid. I spend a lot of time convincing folks I'm just a hack politician. The more they think that I'm not much of a justice officer, the more bad guys I will catch inside that compound tonight. The build up of guards is a recent thing, probably for the sale. I think, they are there more to keep the peace inside the compound than they are trying to keep people out. They have shields for that.

"They don't want the dogs fighting over the meat - so to speak." River added.

"Yep, you could put it that way. My guess is the Princess, and your Doctor will top the sales list, but I have no idea what or who else they plan to sell. I probably won't until later tonight. There won't be any escapes tonight. When we hit them, the only thing I can't block is a vortex manipulator, and my mole will take care of that. I watched you this morning. You're not bad - especially for clumsy humans. You can tag along tonight. But - H'Tarle growled deep in his throat, "you interfere with my plans or go off on your own, I will put you in a cell until the moons fall out of the sky!"

Jack faced him square, and flashed a mirthless grin at the avian humanoid in front of him. " Our only concern is getting the Doctor out of there tonight, and that's what I intend to do."

River stood up next to her parents. " We will do whatever it takes to get him out, Inspector, and I mean whatever it takes!"

H'Tarle looked at the four faces, and he knew she meant it. He'd hate to throw them in jail for murdering someone, especially Curly tops. She truly had great hair.

o0o

A/N Marouck -whiskey

neshema -thick coffee like hot drink (Turkish Coffee)

nalek- highly nervous jumping rodents (kangaroo mice on steroids)

o0o


	9. Chapter 9 Plans, Everybody Has One

**_A/N: Just a brief reminder that this is an adult story dealing with adult themes. This chapter and the next contain brief scenes of a male sexual assault that some may find disturbing. They are an essential element to the overall arc of the story of his struggle._**

o0o

The first hover transport came across the eastern horizon just as shades of grey splintered the black, early morning sky. The rain had stopped, leaving a chill in the early morning air. NaV0 stood at the French doors of her upstairs lounge watching the small craft land soundlessly in the centre of the compound. She timed how long it took her guards to hustle the passengers safely inside the mansion where they could relax in peace. Three minutes. The next craft would land in exactly five minutes. All part of her tightly-constructed schedule.

The years of struggles, schemes, and planning were finally paying off. She had what she wanted: the power to make and break men. No-one believed that a woman could forge twelve small crime factions into one powerful organisation, and the battle to prove otherwise had been a bloody one. Thanks to her cunning, the galaxy now had to deal with the power of the Continuum. If only the folks back on Duridia could see her now. They wouldn't be telling her how stupid and worthless she was; not anymore.

As another craft landed, NaV0's skin tingled and her heart pounded with excitement as she anticipated the day's events. It had taken ten million credits to cover the expenses for this conference. The money covered everything from transport to buying off the local law and three members of the Shadow Proclamation. It was money well spent. Now, even the most notorious of guests could travel without worry. When they arrived, they would find a day filled with planning expansion of their criminal enterprise and establishing a permanent headquarters on Regulus IV, topped by an evening filled with dinner and the auctions.

Footsteps echoed across the marble floor, bringing her attention to the reflection in the glass door. She didn't bother to turn when her favourite guard joined her. Together, the two watched the morning suns peak above the horizon changing the sky to deep purples and oranges. They watched as the last of the crafts came across the horizon and land. A satisfied grin broke across her face. Phase one had come off without a single hitch. A few of the more special guests would arrive by vortex manipulator, and then the day would begin.

As the last craft lifted off, the guard finally spoke, "The men are settling the guests and merchandise just as you have ordered, Mistress, and I have seen to the arrangements for your special guests."

"Good. How is my contribution to the auction doing today?"

"I'm afraid, despite the drugs, he was not forthcoming about your property. He does seem a bit confused today. The drug was slow to clear."

"Well, what a shame; my business associates will find my failure to get the ship disappointing. I suppose being the last of his kind can still make me money. Perhaps our bidders will find his confusion... charming. Make sure he is clean, and make sure the girl thinks that I have forgotten about her. She can help out with the guests, but keep her away from him. I have plans for her tomorrow."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Jahob?"

"Yes, Mistress?"

"You'd better hope your excessive enthusiasm does not cost me. If it does, our special guest won't be alone on the auction block!" she snarled as she turned back to watch the last of the leadership disembark. The cold smile on her face matched the look in her eyes. The guard's distressed look let her know that the man would tread cautiously today. She did not make idle threats. A voice in her earwig announced three new guests arriving by vortex manipulator, and NaV0 headed to greet them.

Three jovial human men stood in the foyer, excited to meet their hostess who welcomed them with opened arms. One clapped his hands together when he saw NaV0 descending the staircase.

"Malorik," NaV0 greeted the burly man with an effusive hug.

"Madam NaV0," he grinned lasciviously as he pressed her against his chest, "you vixen. I have to admit; I didn't think that you could pull it off. Tell me - - since you are now the leader - - how about telling us your name?"

NaV0 laughed as she linked arms with him. "I have no name, Malorik."

The man laughed with her, "Well then, tell me about this conference: will we be successful?"

"There were a couple of glitches, but all in all I think you will find the meetings interesting. The reports from Erom's slave mills shows an increase of forty percent at harvest since we introduced Mythos to the water supply. The pharmacopoeia division has introduced a new drug that should do well in the mining colonies. I'm thinking, with a little effort from your and your partners, we might even reach as far as the Vega colonies by the end of the next business year."

"Mythos, isn't that the arousal drug?" Malorik grinned.

"Well, given in tiny amounts, the person is easily aroused and enjoys the experience a bit more than usual. But when given in slightly larger amounts, the need for release becomes obsessive. If the subject requires training, giving them even larger amounts facilitates complete compliance with instructions. The quicker they comply, the quicker they are given a method to get their relief. Usually works very well to get new acquisitions readied for the sales floor. I think. it will be very useful for training purposes. You'll find out more in our planning sessions.

"Ah, that does sound ambitious, I love a working vacation. Anything interesting that you wish to show me before the auction?"

NaV0 merely smiled, "My inventory will be ready for viewing one hour prior to the auction. I think you will like what I have to offer. I guarantee a thrilling challenge - if you have the winning bid. I'll show you and your friends to breakfast."

As she led them to the dining room, daylight stretched across the landscape, and the last deliveries began arriving inside the mansion, under guard. Ten terrified exotic humanoid females - a child and two males - were transmatted from ships safely off planet. Destined for the auction and sale to the pleasure houses, the prisoners came from colonies in the outer rim. Now guards shuttled them, in stunned silence, to the heavily shielded cells. No one looked twice as a guard snatched the female child and smacked her crying mother into silence. NaV0 walked past with her guests, barely noticing the guard striking the woman even harder after a male tried to defend her. They would all learn their place just as the Doctor had learned his. She doubted it would take quite as long - she had never had a prisoner so resilient. She wished she had more time to play with him; to refine his lessons a bit more, but it was time to move forward.

An hour later, NaV0 stood in the dining room surrounded by thirty-five of the most wanted men in the galaxy. By tomorrow morning, a few of them would leave immensely wealthy, and the rest would be better off than before they arrived. In all, this promised to be a brilliant conference. She felt on top of the world.

o0o

K'Nar stood at the back staircase of the B wing, watching guards escort the Mistress' guests to their rooms. Yanked her from bed, in what felt like the middle of the night, she and the other servants spent the early morning hours caring for the Mistress' guests. She'd grown used to servants' work. She had even grown used to the presence of evil people near her, but these men were different. Evil radiated off them, almost to the point of making the Mistress look kind. Fortunately, most of them weren't too bright. K'Nar swallowed, increased her shields and began the tedious job of keeping these men away from her.

Three hours into her morning, K'Nar watched her only friend, TBrae, get yanked into a room. The attack was so sudden K'Nar didn't have time to block the man's thoughts. It was an error that left her shaking with fear. There was no way to help her friend, and for that she was ashamed. Trying to scan for what she needed, find other potential threats, and still keep her skills hidden was using up all of her mental energy. If she didn't stay focused, she would make a mistake and then the Mistress would find out. That would be a fatal mistake. K'Nar swore to the Goddesses that she would find a way to help save the girls, but first... first, she had to find a way to save herself and her Lord. It would be a very long day. With nothing else to do for her friend, K'Nar added TBrae to her prayers for protection and set out to accomplish her plans.

By mid-morning the guests were settled. K'Nar finished her duties in the kitchen and headed for a place under the back stairs where she could hide and take a breath. No one had seen TBrae since the human pulled her into his room, and K'Nar wanted to reach out and find her. She pulled her knees to her chest, tucked herself into a cubbyhole to hide, and prepared to scan the minds of people in the third floor. She had just started the cleansing breaths required to centre her mind when she heard guests on the staircase above her. One was claiming a new, powerful seer was coming. If the Mistress had brought in new telepaths, then she and her young Lord were in more danger than ever.

K'Nar drew into herself, centred her mind and reached out, searching for anyone capable of detecting her. She sagged in relief when, despite the man's bragging, she couldn't find anyone strong enough to get past her lowest level shields, let alone be a risk. There were two low-level telepaths who might - possibly - be able to enter the young Lord's mind in his weakened state. She reached out to shore up his fragile shields, making sure the two telepaths would not be able to come close to breaching his walls.

The guards entered his cell twice during the night, held him down and injected drugs that forced him to see things that terrified her. It required all her energy to help him battle the horrific hallucinations. She finally was able to rest after managing to put him in a deep sleep. She was glad to find that he remained that way. Next, she focused on TBrae and sighed with relief when despite the man's abuse, she found her friend still alive. K'Nar promised herself that once she'd gotten her Lord out, she would find someone to help rescue the girl.

K'Nar re-focused her energy on shoring up her own shields. When she was sure that she was safe, she slipped from her tiny sanctuary determined to stay as busy and invisible as possible. An hour later, while she delivered snacks to a room, she felt a man watching her. She dropped her head to avoid his eyes, did a U-turn, and as she passed by she implanted in his mind the thought that she was too ugly to bother. The man stopped his approach, his lascivious grin turned to a look of disgust as he brushed past. Her knees almost buckled in relief as he left her untouched except by his vile thoughts.

K'Nar couldn't help her nervous giggle at the thought that this whole day was almost like an exciting adventure in one of the Galactic Warrior stories that she'd read at home. When her parents found out she read the books they denied her birth day trip prompting her fateful trip to the bazaar. Now, because she'd broken the rules, she was living the adventures. Life was strange. The thought made her feel immature, guilty, and foolish. As the man's footsteps faded down the stairs, K'Nar hoped her parents would be proud that she had used her wits to survive in this place.

She drew a deep breath, forced herself to remember this wasn't a game, and went back to work. As long as she stay focused, she could easily blend with the rest of the staff giving her the chance to use her assigned duties to snag what she needed for their escape. Once more, when she knew that she was safe, K'Nar hid in a small alcove and closed her eyes to find someone who had what she needed. Humans had such simple minds. As long as they stayed distracted, they had no idea she was scanning them. Even with his shields gone and in agony the young Lord's mind was so much more complicated.

Then she found him. Her target was only three doors away. His mind was disgusting, but she could see his vortex manipulator. The man's thoughts were so focused on business deals and money that was it easy to implant in his mind the image of his vortex manipulator, broken and in pieces. She couldn't help grinning as her mind's eye saw him take the manipulator and toss it on the bed. She couldn't believe she'd actually succeeded in getting this evil man to do her bidding. No wonder this was against Vshakian law.

K'Nar waited until he went downstairs, and then moved to claim her prize. A minute later, she had the precious manipulator tucked safely in the pocket of her shift. Now she had the means to get the young Lord and herself out of this nightmare. She just had to get his clothes and find a way inside the tunnel.

K'Nar spent the rest of the day keeping a low profile as she moved from assignment to assignment, waiting for the chance to go to him. She was almost letting the intrigue of beating these stupid people become fun. Or at least it would be if his life didn't hang in the balance. Both their lives depended on her success.

She found a pair of shoes the same way she got the manipulator, and tucked them into a hidden cubby in the alcove close to the back steps. To avoid suspicion in obtaining fresh clothes, she slipped next to one of the laundry girls and helped her finish the mounds of laundry. The extra pair of hands garnered a smile from the tired girls. An hour later she managed to find a pair of trousers and a jumper that looked as if they might fit his thin frame. It was yet another hour before she could return to the alcove to hide her bundle until she was ready.

K'Nar was proud of her plan. She thought she'd done a good job covering all her bases. Once the Mistress gave all her attention to her dinner guests, she would slip past the guards, make her way to the cells, and the young Lord would use the device to get them both out of this place. She stood back from the cubbyhole and smiled at her small triumph. Now she just had to return the laundry. The least she could do was to help those girls finish. She felt him tickle her mind. He sounded weak and terribly tired. She had kept herself so busy she didn't realise that he was awake or that he had called her. She felt his fear for her when he called..

_K'Nar, are you there? Are you safe?_

_My Lord, you are awake. I'm fine, are you all right ? I can't come yet._

_I'm fine. K'Nar, you don't need to come. I wanted to thank you._

K'Nar knitted her eyebrows together in worry. _My Lord, what's wrong?_

For the first time since meeting him in the cell, twitching in pain, she had trouble reading his emotions. Once he knew she was OK, he blocked her out. He felt different, and it scared her.

_K'Nar?_

_I'm here, my Lord._

_Then listen: I don't have much time. They have given me clothes, and told me to shower. I don't remember what they want any more. I don't actually care. Whatever it is, I think they've either given up or they have worse plans than beating the universe out of me. Either way, I don't think I'm getting out of here. K'Nar, I'm sorry. I promised to get you out of here, and I failed. I don't like failing, but I seem to do it a lot lately. I'm tired now. You... You are a remarkable child. You are brilliant and amazing. Please, please get out of here. Stay safe and get out of here. Thank you for helping me._

_My Lord ? My Lord, please ?_

He wouldn't let her back in.

He was gone, leaving K'Nar shaking with fear for his safety. She gathered her prizes, checked to make sure no one was watching, and made her way through to the landing in time to see a guard key in a new code that disabled the security grid. Three men followed him to a second set of stairs. They were heading to the cells.

The last man into the tunnel was the debauched owner of the vortex manipulator. His depraved friend had grabbed TBrae. They'd just stepped into the tunnel when she managed to search their minds. She sank back against the wall in horror at what she saw. They were going after her young Lord, and the evil they intended sent waves of panic through her. She pictured the grid lock code in her mind and made the decision to follow them. She waited until they had time to clear the second set of stairs and followed, trying as she went to influence them, to implant the thought to leave him alone. Despite her best efforts, she wasn't strong enough to penetrate the thick walls of evil that filled their minds.

It was so easy to influence the manipulator's owner before. It had been easy to influence all of them. How could she do it then, and not now, when it mattered most? She strained to reach deeper, to stop them, but she couldn't. The evil of their minds repulsed her, burned her; it was a force she didn't know how to overcome.

The men were well into the tunnel when she slid down the wall, in tears and with no idea of what to do. The Lord's shields were still in place, she couldn't warn him. She'd failed. She couldn't stop the vile men from reaching him. First TBrae, and now her Lord. The adventure was over and reality was overwhelming. K'Nar prayed to the Goddesses for strength, a way out, and for her mother.

o0o

The Doctor wasn't sure what noise brought him back to the reality of the cell, but he woke freezing on the concrete. He laid on his back for several minutes before managing to drag himself back to the mattress. He pulled his blankets around him and huddled against the wall, trying to remember what brought him to this hellhole or how long he's actually been here. His sense of time was completely gone. His mind felt as if someone bored a hole into his skull and filled it with mud, or cement. His head was throbbing, and it was hard to take a deep breath. Every coughing fit made his chest feel as if it would split apart. Sick covered him, but he didn't remember throwing up. He was tired of hurting, and tired of being naked and cold. He was so tired of the cold.

Reality was slipping away, and he was helpless to stop it from happening. He couldn't remember what he had done to wind up in this place, or what they wanted from him. Even his name was half-forgotten. At least, they hadn't hit him for awhile. Or maybe they had, and he just couldn't remember.

He did remember K'Nar, with her sweet face and gentle eyes, and he missed her desperately. She made surviving easier; everything was easier with her. Moron had let her come just once since their last training session, but he wasn't sure how long that had been. Come to think of it, he didn't remember seeing Moron either. He must have, because his head hurt. He hoped they hadn't turned on her. He tried reaching out through their link, but she didn't answer. He needed her. He could think better when she mind-talked to him.

He wasn't alone in this prison any more. They'd shuffled people in and out of the other cells earlier. One of them, a female, cried after she arrived, but she was quiet now. He wanted to tell her to be brave, but the best he could do was to hope they didn't hurt her. He wished the other prisoners ' better luck than he had.

The Doctor pulled his blanket up tighter, trying to get some level of comfort. He wanted to see K'Nar again. After multiple attempts to reach her and no answer, his worry upped a notch. She was either hiding her talent from another telepath, or they'd done something to her. If it were the first he would keep reaching out until she answered, but if they'd hurt her, well ... If, by some miracle, he did get out, he'd track down Madam Nut Job and he would kill her. He'd kill her twice, if anything happened to K'Nar. He smiled at the thought, in spite of the feeling of deep shame that followed. It meant he was like her. Maybe he was. Maybe... maybe he was here because he killed someone. A part of him remembered he'd killed before. The memory was like a half-forgotten dream of a war.

A muscle spasm sent a wave of pain through him that left him breathless and wondering why he was even trying to hang on to reality. It wasn't all that great; maybe oblivion would be better. Fleeting images filled his Swiss-cheesed brain, with just enough facts to stop him from thinking he'd gone completely mental. Fact one, Madame Nut Job's voice and her sadistic laugh burned; it burned through his brain, bored into his hearts and through every cell of his body. That laugh echoed through the halls straight into his soul. That voice murdered a child. But that voice never, not once, had the pleasure of hearing him scream or beg for mercy. Winning that battle every single second of every single day was all that kept him from giving up.

Fact one A, and most important: K'Nar. She made the pain endurable. She'd probably saved what was left of his sanity, and certainly his life. Sweet, gentle K'Nar with her bright, intelligent eyes and loving heart, filled him with hope. She filled a hole in him that he didn't even know existed. He missed her. He missed everything about her, even her scent. She was extraordinary. He wanted her out of this place, and off this planet. He wanted to live just to make sure that happened.

Last fact, the rules; he remembered Moron's rules. He didn't abide by them, but he did remember them. Don't laugh; don't be rude. Moron spent a portion of his day, every day, making sure the Doctor learned the rules. The Doctor intended to make him pay for those lessons. A part of him knew that revenge was wrong, that it wasn't his way. But he didn't care.

He shifted on the mattress, trying to ease the pain that screamed at him with every move. No matter how he lay, he couldn't get comfortable. His stomach muscles ached from retching and hunger. He'd always been lean, but now he was skinny and malnourished. Another coughing spell sent a shaft of pain through his chest, bringing tears to his eyes.

He didn't hear three men approach the front of his cell. They were just there, poking and jabbing at each other while they stared at him. They laughed, and then they left. All he could do was stare back. He didn't have the energy to ask what the hell they thought they were looking at. Anyway, h e knew better than to spout off. Moron took particular pleasure in teaching him the consequences for spouting off. He really wasn't interested in getting hit today.

He couldn't have been all that interesting to them, anyway. It was a relief that no one hauled him up by his arms or his hair. He hoped they didn't bother the woman down the hall. He did wonder why they all had such stupid laughs.

His brain hurt.

Logically speaking, brains couldn't hurt. The brain sent and received impulses to nerve centres, which told other nerve centres, a certain part of the body ( or in his case, his entire body hurt. Technically speaking, brains couldn't hurt.

His did.

He closed his eyes to force order back into his thinking. He couldn't stay focused longer than few minutes, and that was beyond frustrating. Several minutes after the men left - or maybe it was an hour - the cell door opened and a guard walked in. This one never seemed to bother him. In fact, a couple of times he'd slipped him an extra cup of water. Now he dropped shower supplies and stepped back. The man said nothing, but the Doctor appreciated the look of pity.

He glanced at the supplies, and then up at the guard. It didn't take a genius, even a confused one, to figure out they expected him to get cleaned up. He struggled to get to his feet. His attempt to pick up the items sent a wave of pain through his body. As he reached to steady himself, the guard grabbed him to stop him from falling over. After glancing around to make sure no-one was watching, the guard gave the Doctor a slight smile and then handed the supplies to the Doctor.

The Doctor muttered his thanks. His smile of gratitude came off more as a grimace, but he appreciated the man's small act of kindness and his patience. He was acutely aware that the new prisoners were watching him walk naked to the shower.

The room was small, devoid of any privacy. The shower was just a pipe coming out of the wall with a single faucet. A polished metal mirror hung above a metal sink. He stopped when he spotted his face and groaned. He'd almost forgotten what he looked like. The person in the mirror couldn't be him. Bruises and a scraggly beard covered his face; his puffy right eye explained his blurred vision. Opening his mouth was a mistake. The pain that shot through his jaw into his ear brought tears to his eyes, but at least it wasn't broken. Dried blood crusted around his earlobe, explaining the constant ringing. Dark red bruises circled his neck, a faint reminder of Moron's attempt to strangle him. He gripped the edge of the sink and looked at his wrists. They were swollen, bruised and cut from pulling against manacles. Fresh bruises, some in the shape of boot toes, covered his chest. He drew a breath and exhaled slowly, stifling the urge to cough. There wasn't a place on his body Moron had left untouched by his fists, feet or toys.

The guard nodded his head and gently nudged the Doctor toward the shower. His modesty was long gone, and without saying anything, he stepped into the icy stream. The water actually felt good; like a massive ice pack to his whole body. He let the cold water wash down on top of his head and flow down his back. Its force sent cold relief into his aching shoulder. His bruised and tender scalp made washing his hair painful. Moron had managed to rip out patches of his hair. Despite the soreness, he was glad to get rid of the scraggly beard.

The shower lasted less than six minutes, but it did lift a bit of the fog from his brain. Standing silent as he shaved, he reached out one last time to K'Nar, feeling for her presence. This time her voice flooded back into his mind. Expecting to be gone or dead in minutes, he told her goodbye. Feeling her distress, he threw up his shields preventing her from feeling his fear. She was a child, and she had done enough.

As the guard took him from the shower to a new room, he wondered if he would struggle against dying ; he was surprised to find himself quite calm. At least he wasn't going to die naked. He'd always struggled before, unwilling to go into the night, but now - now, he wasn't so sure.

This room was different. The ceiling chains were gone, replaced by a bed with manacles. A wooden table sat in the middle of the floor, outfitted with a pair of manacles, attached in such a way that the person locked in them would have little wiggle room. A second set, attached three feet apart to the floor made sure the victim had nowhere to go. They didn't bring him to this room to execute him, but he suddenly wished they had. He froze, unable to figure out how to get out. He'd survived everything the universe could throw at him in this hellhole. He was no coward. A coward would have given them what they wanted. He'd taken their beatings, and shown no fear. He beat the voice in her own game. But this ... he had no coping skills for this. He did not want to survive this. He truly didn't. The degradation was too much to face. He backed against a wall, trying to figure some dignified way out, but there wasn't one. Nervous energy found its way to his jaw, and then to his fingers as he clenched and unclenched them. The only way out this room was through them.

He was scared; right and properly scared.

The three men who'd stood outside his cell now walked into the room, smelling of alcohol and sex. They strutted around him, laughing, as they made crude and vulgar remarks. The biggest of the three stepped up nose to nose with him , inhaling his scent.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you respect for personal space?" the Doctor snarled. He would not, could not, just lie down and let this happen. The stench from the man was sickening.

"I heard you were funny, little man. Boys, didn't Madam NaV0 tell us he was funny?" The burly man pushed closer and laughed.

Why did they all have to laugh ?

The other two slapped their friend's back.

"I just bought you, little man. You cost me a bundle," the burly man sneered in lust.

"Ell Se'tan," the Doctor spat at the man's feet, his eyes locked on the face of this new enemy.

His hearts pounded in his ears; his stomach, churning in fear, threatened to erupt. The man stepped up until his face was only centimetres away, his mouth close, he blew gently in the Doctor's ear, and then whispered his plans. His tongue flicked, and then slid up the Doctor's neck, tracing a line up and around his ear. The Doctor's stomach rolled, forcing him to swallow the bile rising in his throat.

"My name is Malorik, and I own you. You," the man chuckled as he ran his tongue back down, "taste - different, little man." He chuckled again, grabbed the Doctor by the back of his head and forced a kiss. The Doctor jerked and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ell Se'tan i' Panto. Krva' Styg!" the Doctor spat back.

"I heard you were funny, little man. Boys, didn't Madam NaV0 tell us he was funny?" The burly man pushed closer and laughed.

The men laughed as they walked into the Doctor, bumping him backwards until he was pinned against the wall. The Doctor squeezed his eyes shut against the coming invasion as the bigger man reached to unzip the Doctor's new trousers, and slide his hand in. Frozen in place, the Doctor's mind raced with his options. He had only one - fight, In all likelihood, he wasn't getting out of this room alive. He excercised his only option. _Geronimo_,he thought as he spit in the man's face.

"Hei Mase' Senda!" the Doctor snarled.

The man's hand tightened around the Doctor's manhood, his other squeezed the Doctor's injured shoulder, sending him to his knees, gasping in agony. Unable to process what he could not stop, his brain shut down.

o0o

**_Hei ' Mase Senda...you are an animal_**

**_Ell Se tan i Panthlo...eat s ** t and die_**


	10. Chapter 10 A Broken Time Lord

**_A/N: The same warning for from 9 applies to the middle part of this chapter. If the scene is upsetting, please skip to the third set of paw prints for K'Nar's attempt at rescue._**

o0o

Jack stood with his hands shoved deep into the pockets. The warmth of the day left with the double sunsets forcing him to flip the collar of his greatcoat up against the cold night air. Frustration led him outside to find a spot where he could think and breathe. The closest he'd managed to his roof top oasis at home was the centre's walled in court. He'd managed to balance himself at the top to gaze at the nearly empty street. Twelve miserable local hours on this planet and they were no closer to the Doctor. Twelve tedious hours of strategy meetings, training sessions to make H'Tarle happy, and frustrated sighs from his new companions. The man was nothing, if thorough when it came to covering every possible detail. In the end, it was annoying.

Years of experience taught Jack that it wasn't possible to cover every contingency. He wished, he'd thought things through a little more. If hadn't let his emotions over-ride his common sense, he would have brought his team. He could rely on every thing they would do in a situation like this. Mostly, he needed their support and counsel. Instead, he was undertaking the most important rescue of his life with people that he didn't know, whose judgement, he did not entirely trust.

He exhaled slowly, watching his breath form little circles that floated away on the breeze. This place reminded him of northern Europe. He might actually come back some day - just to visit. Maybe take Ianto, Gwen and Rhys on a ski trip up in the mountains. H'Tarle showed him some great pictures of the local landscape in winter. A young couple, walking arm in arm past the Justice Centre, distracted him for a moment, sending his thoughts to Ianto. He missed the silly Welshman and found himself aching for him. An image of Ianto in a parka and tight ski pants, zooming down a mountain slope, brought a breathy chuckle. He realised that, in all the time that he'd known him, he's never actually seen Ianto ski. Maybe, just the outfit would do.

Jack blew out another round of frost rings and forced himself to the here and now. He reflected back on all the meetings and training sessions. The plan wasn't complicated, but the timing was crucial. First, they would seal off the airspace and then take out the perimeter shields. The mole would take out the monitors controlling the inner shields, sabotage the transmat system, and locate any vortex manipulators. The sweep of the compound and mansion would be done with combined attacks from the ground and the trees. By the end of the strategy sessions, each team member knew where to go, and who to look for.

The most important tactical session coördinated the rescue with the attack on the mansion. The mole sent word that NaV0's guests had thirteen new prisoners, including a small child for sale at the evening auction. Their arrival was an unexpected complication. Now, they not only had to get the Doctor and the Princess out of that hell hole, but the new group as well. It was hard enough worrying about the princess and the Doctor caught in a crossfire, but a child ... Jack hoped just this once, the universe wouldn't screw up.

Now, the team leaders knew what the Doctor looked like, and thanks to the mole, had a fair chance of identifying the Princess. Her safety ranked right up withe Doctor's. No one wanted her to get hurt in the process of rescuing her. H'Tarle sent word back to the mole to secure her some place safe. A full medical squad was on standby. Rory handed his blood supply and pain medicine to the medics for safe keeping. Jack reassured H'Tarle that because of the Doctor's unique needs his team would be responsible for taking care of him. No one doubted that, that after three weeks, he would be injured.

H'Tarle's people insisted the humans prove they could handle weapons, just to make sure they would not accidentally shoot the wrong person. Jack was pleasantly surprised to find River and the Ponds more than capable of handling themselves. Their targets were hit with deadly accuracy. Well, Amy needed a little practise, although she could handle a sword and a sonic sabre with the best of them. Since swords weren't called for, they gave her the bio-scanner. She was a little offended they hadn't given her weapon, but realised someone had to handle the tracking device. She laughed when C'Kuk told her that she understood.

In between planning sessions, he'd taken the time to figure out the Doc's new companions. He knew they could come together as a team, but he still wanted to understand them. The couple was cute. Rory worshipped the ground Amy walked on. In a way, he was like Ianto, the silent type who could always get the job done. Amy was a tough kid. They had talked about her baby and Madam Kovarian. It explained a lot about why the Doc had come here to begin with. He still found River - different. Her friendship with the Williams's didn't make a lot of sense.

After spending a few hours together, she had at least stopped biting his head off. He still didn't know what he'd done to make her mad. Maybe she was jealous, or maybe, in some alternated time line, something happened to offend her. The downside to time travel and immortality was not always knowing whom you ticked off, or when. She was a brilliant, beautiful woman, but try as he might, he could not see her and the Doc getting together. Sitting across from her while she told of an adventure on some planet, he tried to see them together in the TARDIS and couldn't. Maybe they were together in a later regeneration. She could fly the ship and speak Gallifreyan, so their relationship was something serious.

Rory was right about one thing. Her favourite answer to everything was just one word: spoilers. It made her sort of hot. She definitely adored the Doc, though. Her eyes glowed when she talked about him. The Doc deserved that kind of love. He had it in Rose and then lost it, and part of him died with that loss. If River could give that back to him, Jack would support it wholeheartedly. Still, Jack just could not see the whole bed thing with them.

River's love for the Doctor was a huge disappointment to H'Tarle. The Regulun spent most of his free time trying to flirt with her. Her easy banter gave him hope until she told him that the only alien she was remotely interested in knowing was the Doctor. Jack cracked up when she let the Inspector run his fingers through her curls. The looks on Rory, Amy, and C'Kuk's collective faces were - what did the commercial say? Priceless.

Now the suns were down,and it would be time soon. Jack took another breath. One way or the other, I am coming to get you, Doc. I really hope, I haven't screwed up trusting things to these folks, he thought when he heard the Williams's and River come up behind him. Breathing deep, he turned and hopped from the wall to face them, flashed a cheeky grin, and hoped he exuded confidence that he wasn't feeling.

"It's time," River smiled tightly.

Afraid of what they might find, the three looked as worried as he felt. It didn't help that the TARDIS still flooded her anxiety through the translation circuits. It kept all four of them on edge. Jack knew the three had thoughts of revenge running through their heads, especially River. She probably knew enough of the right kind of people to make it happen; whether her Doctor approved or not.

H'Tarle walked out the building followed by forty officers in riot gear, and the medical team. Gesturing to the humans, the teams loaded up in three hover-transports. A moment later, they were in the air headed for the compound. The shields, were fully engaged to make sure no one at the compound could pick them up on a random scan. Six minutes later, forty officers and four humans surrounded the compound and waited for an EM pulse to take out the force field. Stun weapons in hand, they were ready.

o0o

The three buggers standing in front of the Doctor intended to force him to perform a degrading act. Feeling as if his head would explode , his mind ran through his options for survival. If this was a nightmare or another hallucination, he wished that he would wake up. But it wasn't, and he wasn't going down without a fight.

His hearts raced as adrenaline flooded through his body, giving him the strength to fight back. And - that's what he intended to do. Fight. Just because, he didn't like to fight, didn't mean that he didn't know how. Beaten and bloodied, this body was still stronger than a single human and right now, he only had to focus on one. He just needed an opening . If he was going down, then he would take Malorik with him. At least, it would delay what they intended. Or - if he were lucky, they'd kill him first. The pressure on his shoulder was paralysing. The pain from the man's grip radiated all the way to his fingers. The Doctor gasped in relief when Malorik removed his other hand. He would make this piece of trash pay.

One of the men grabbed his hair and forced his head back, exposing his throat. The top of his head touched the wall. On his knees, his arms pinned, he couldn't kick them, but he had a hard head.

"Open your mouth, boy!" Malorik ordered with a snarl.

The stench of his rancid breath combined with alcohol flipped the Doctor stomach, but his eyes never left the face of his new enemy. His jaws stayed clenched tightly shut against the pressure Malorik applied to his jaws. Determination matched his hatred as he locked on the man's eyes. He'd let this happen about the time Earth's oceans froze. The man grinned down at him. It was a mistake. It fuelled the both the Doctor's hatred and his resolve. He knew what the man was thinking. He could feel it. The man wasted his money. They might win this battle, but he would bloody well win the war.

Malorik's scumbag partner grabbed his nose, pinching it closed to force him to gasp for air. The doctor's respiratory bypass threatened as the man gave up trying. One of them , made a comment about good lung reserve. The Doctor would show him lung reserve. The slighter of three men slammed the Doctor's head against the wall, stunning him. The third laughed as Malorik increased the pressure on his jaws, trying to force his mouth open. The Doctor jerked and kept jerking until his head was free, and Malorik's crotch was in his face. The Doctor had his opening. He slammed his head forward as hard as possible, and grinned when the man fell away, howling in rage. It was an immense pleasure to know he'd caused the pain. At least, the pressure to his shoulder was gone and the other two, surprised by his strength, let go. It was all he needed to scramble to his feet.

The pleasure was short-lived as they tackled him. The Doctor sent his fist into the face of the smallest man, delighted by the resulting gush of blood. He reared back to swing again when Malorik roared with rage as he swung a foot at the Doctor's knees sending him crashing to the floor. Despite the overwhelming agony, his rage kept him kicking as he tried to scramble across the floor to get away. Their boots connecting to his ribs stopped him.. The men kicked until the Doctor lay on his side curled in ball attempting to protect his stomach. Hands grabbed him and threw him against the table. He reared back, grabbed his nearest attacker and spit.

All three fought to lock the manacles around the Doctor's wrists. Out of breath, sweat poured off the three men. They had not planned on fighting so hard to subdue their property. Malorik slammed the Doctor's head into the table, stunning him long enough to clamp manacles around his wrists. Standing too close to the Doctor's feet, the second attacker received a swift kick to the chest. The Doctor heard the wind go out of him, encouraging him on to keep kicking. Exhausted and in agony, he kicked until the three managed to secure his legs to the floor . He twisted and fought against the restraints until his shoulder dislocated again, leaving him immobile from pain. The three attackers stood back gasping and exhausted, amazed by his strength. The Doctor could hear them discuss the necessary training methods. "He's going to need special handling," he heard Malorik gasp as the man recovered his breath,

"Maybe you can get a rebate," he heard another one quip.

"Yeah." the third voice heaved. "He's not quite the broken piece of humanity she promised, Malorik."

The Doctor lay strapped across the table, trying to breathe. Malorick seriously underestimated him; he would make the man regret the day, he viewed him as property.

"You're a bad boy, little man," one of them snarled in his ear, still breathless. He pulled off his belt. "You like it rough. We'll play rough!"

"Hei mesa Senda ! Panthlo She'ba Senda !" the Doctor cursed as he spit blood at the man closest to his face.

The man yanked the Doctor's trousers down. " Now, learn boy," he snarled. Malorik sent his belt flying until blood ran. Only the Doctor's overwhelming hatred kept him conscious as blackness danced at the edges of his vision. The man at his head leaned down to his ear, and with every blow called him filthy names. He took enormous pleasure in describing exactly what he planned to teach the Doctor. The Doctor responded with every Gallifreyan curse he could remember. The belt finally stopped as blood ran down his legs. Exhausted, and in agony, the Doctor lay still trying to catch his breath when he felt a mouth wrap around him.

The third man laughed, and whispered, "This, little man is how you do it." With a man's mouth still on him, his insides exploded as Malorik forced himself inside. When he finally grunted his completion, the remaining two took their time violating him. The Doctor was numb; detached from his body. With no idea, how long it lasted, or how often they took him, he crawled deep inside his head and hid.

o0o

K'Nar stood at the end of the tunnel, watching the guard. Unable to enter the minds of the other men, she planted a thought in the guard's mind to look away. When he did, she crept to a deserted cell, stepped behind its door to hide in its shadows. She felt as if she hid there hours. Unable to reach the young Lord, she watched the guard at the door. He was easy to scan, she found his mind churning with the same revulsion that she felt. She didn't understand the muffled sounds coming from the room, but he did and the sounds made him sick . At least , he had some sort of conscience. She wasn't surprised; h e had always been the easiest of the guards to manipulate. She knew he wouldn't interfere, once she managed to get to the young Lord.

After what seemed an eternity, the men finally came out, laughing as they straightened their clothes. The guard watched the men leave with such a look of revulsion that it scared K'Nar. She couldn't feel the Doctor at all now. Once, the men entered the tunnel, the guard went in and came back out a moment later. He leaned against the wall for a second, just breathing. He hesitated a few moments before drawing a deep breath, straightened up, and glanced down the hallway, dropped his weapon, and walked out of the building.

K'Nar froze when he looked over his shoulder at the room. She shrank back in the shadows and waited for him to pass. His shame and guilt hit her in waves as he passed her. She felt a moment of pity for him. When she was sure that she hadn't read him wrong and that he wasn't coming back, she slipped out of the empty cell and made her way to the room.

"Oh, Lord," she sobbed at the sight in front of her, "What have they done to you?"

Nothing prepared her for what these men had done. The young Lord was on the floor trying to fix his clothes, but couldn't quite grasp how to carry it out with just one hand. His pants were so tangled at his ankles that just crawling away was difficult. He seemed oblivious to everything, including her as he struggled to put distance between himself and the source of his agony. K'Nar stared in horror at her friend. She had no idea how to deal with the deep welts and cuts covering his bum and legs. Blood from those cuts mixed with some kind of mess covering his stomach and traced rivulets down his legs. The hair at the back of his head was shiny with fresh blood while more trickled into his eyes from the fresh cut sitting in the new knot on his forehead.

K'nar froze for several seconds before she pushed her utter shock aside, swallowed her feeling of helplessness, and channeled her hatred into helping him. "Lord," she called softly. Tears ran down her cheeks when he ignored her. It was as if he didn't recognise her presence, let alone her voice. That couldn't be, he should always hear her voice.

"Lord, I'm here," she repeated louder.

He didn't make a sound, not even a moan as he struggled from the place of his torture. K'Nar rushed to his side only to have him jerk from her. She swallowed her sobs when she turned his face toward hers and saw his empty eyes. She desperately wanted her mother. This was a horror K'Nar had no idea how to fix. But her mother wasn't coming, and the men were coming back. They had to get out. If they didn't, they would die in this room. She took a breath and tried again.

"My Lord, let me help, please. I have to get you dressed," K'Nar whispered as she touched his shoulder.

She searched his face for a sign that he recognised her, but he refused to even look at her. Instead, he pulled away and continued crawling, inch by agonizing inch, across the still felt nothing coming from him but deep shock. K'Nar took a deep breath to calm her own nerves and moved in front to block his way. She gently took his face firmly in her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, may GRVA forgive me," she said as she over-rode his will and forced her way into the swirls of darkness.

He was lost in a storm of terror and pain. Moving across his mind was like swimming in mud. This was not the time for gentleness. K'Nar redoubled her efforts to push through the blackness. She had to find his spirit and snatch him back, or she couldn't get them out. The mud grew thicker. With his shields gone, h is mind had shifted to primal survival mode. The universe ceased to exist. There was only breathing. She found a small spark of light and followed it. Deep in the recesses of his mind, she heard a voice call to him. The voice refused to let him collapse and die. She joined forces with the voice and they both demanded he breathe; so he breathed.

The men left so much damage behind. She pushed deeper, trying to heal the wounds as best as she could, making him forget as much as she could. When she found him, he had regressed to a small child, no older than five, maybe six years old. He was hiding in a cave rocking back and forth, His blue box stood next to him. K'Nar wanted to cry, when he turned his small tear-stained face toward her.

_Oh, my Lord_, K'Nar called to him.

_She won't let me in,_ he sobbed. _I have to hide_.

The strange voice grew louder and more insistent. A smile broke across K'Nar's young face as she understood where the voice came from. Inside his shattered mind, his TARDIS called to him; protecting him. Even here, the ship knew that if he escaped inside, nothing would ever get him out again.

_She won't let you in, my Lord because - - you have to come with me. She won't let you fly away, My Lord. I have to take you back. We have a way to get out of here. You must come with me now._

The child's eyes grew wide with terror. _No!_ his mind screamed as he tried to crawl deeper inside the cave.

_I'm sorry, but I have to get you dressed and away from the Mistress. Those men will come back. I know how badly you hurt, but you must come out of hiding and help me. If we don't move, they' will kill us both. You must come back now!_

The boy froze; just staring at her, unsure of what to do. _I can't let them hurt you, _he said in a small voice_. _He looked at her in confusion._ I don't know what to do._

But they will, they truly will. You have to come back with me - - now, my Lord. Please. She watched his fear turn to confusion as he stared back at his only true friend. She felt how torn he was; how he desperately wanted inside his box, but wanted to protect her.

In his moment of indecision, K'Nar reached out and grabbed him, pulling him back from the depths of oblivion. As she pulled, tiny, fragile strands of gold energy shot from the spark, and joined the voice to show the way back. The voice encouraged her to pull the small, delicate link to his soul harder to save her Lord. As she did, the spark grew brighter until it joined with her own red energy giving her the strength to force him back to reality. It seemed to take an eternity, but less than a minute after forcing her way into the Doctor's mind , recognition began to flow into his eyes. K'Nar didn't understand how, but his magical ship just helped save his life.

He gasped, letting out a strangled sob at the memory of what had happened. The smell of the men, their sweat and sex filled his nostrils. He began to retch; his gut felt as if it would rip apart. Part of his brain told him to die, to regenerate, but his injuries weren't life-threatening. Strands of gold energy raced through his brain, forming into the voice, telling him to keep breathing. It forced him to look at the girl, urging him to reach out for her help.

"K'Nar?" his whole body shook; he collapsed into her arms desperately sucking air into his burning lungs.

"K'Nar?"

K'Nar pulled him upright. "Help me, my Lord," she ordered firmly as she fought to keep panic out of her voice.

He finally looked at her, but made no move to help her. "K'Nar?" his voice trembled with pain and confusion.

"My Lord, please, you must help me. Look at me now -please! We have to get out."

Her heart pounded in her ears. She fought to control her own panic and guilt. If, she had been better, or at least stronger, she could have entered the minds of those animals and stopped them. This was something she for which she had no reference. She had never seen such cruelty. She failed her young Lord, but she would not do it again. She slid a jumper up to his injured arm, over his head, pulling his good arm through the other sleeve. It was like dressing a little child. She helped him get his pants sorted, and pulled up, trying to ignore the blood and the sticky mess on his stomach.

Slowly, as life seeped into his eyes, he became more aware, and finally focused on her. They were getting out. That is what she said. They were getting out. K'Nar placed a device into his shaking hands. He wasn't sure what the thing was, but the voice told him to use it. The voice told him to take K'Nar and go to Jack.

"Where did you get this ?" he whispered in a shaky voice.

"I - - liberated it from one of the men who - were in here with you. Can you programme it?"

His breathing came in ragged gasps."You stole it ?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

The voice in his head showed him how to hold the thing in his hands, but they shook so hard, it was difficult to get them to work. His scattered thinking made focusing on the device difficult. The men's stench still filled his nostrils.

"Might I say, I totally approve, " he finally squeaked when he found his voice.

His left hand was nearly useless as he tried to programme the numbers he saw in his head. Tears blurred his vision making it hard to focus. For the first time in days, hope seeped into his thoughts. Maybe this nightmare would finally end, and he could take K'Nar and get away.

K'Nar glanced at the band locked on her wrist , realising she had made a terrible error. She thought she had planned everything, but she had forgotten her own way out. Unless that band came off, she couldn't go with him, she couldn't mimic humans.

"My Lord, I forgot the key," K'Nar suddenly panicked.

"Key, what key ?" He looked up at her, still trying to cope with the manipulator.

"To the band, it's in the control room. I can't change to look like you without it."

"Go, hurry, " the Doctor hissed.

He tried desperately to hold it together. Nothing Moron did had hurt this bad. His insides felt on fire. He couldn't make the stench of those men go away. The thought that they would come back terrified him. If they did, he couldn't defend K'Nar. He couldn't get his hands to stop shaking long enough to programme numbers in his head into the digital keypad.

The voice in his head kept telling him to find Jack . Jack would help make these people pay, but he didn't know Jack. He did remember a place. Cardiff and the Plass. Was that where this Jack was? Thoughts of revenge filled his head. After they made it out of this place, as soon as possible, he was coming back, and he would make Nut Job pay. He would make them all pay. First, he had to force himself to focus, so he could set coördinates into the bloody keypad. The - numbers just - would - not - stay - still.

K'Nar raced for the door. Two more minutes and they would be out.


	11. Chapter 11 The Raid

Just before nightfall, H'Tarle sent his reconnaissance team to work. Dressed in shielded uniforms, the team took to the trees that surrounded NaV0's compound to scan the buildings and grounds for heat signatures, weapons, and the interior shields. The results streamed to the on-site supervisor sitting onboard a cloaked hover transport a mile away. Supervisor Needril chortled when he discovered that one of Regulus IV's most wanted fugitives had just joined the party. Perhaps, the Continuum wanted him as a touch of local flavor? Needril didn't really care, because the bum was going to jail, along with the rest of NaV0's guests. He smiled as he forwarded the intel to his boss, knowing the man would be ecstatic.

As he watched the scans, Needril provided his boss with a running commentary on the activities, and whereabouts of their chief target. Fortunately, she was staying with the main group in the mansion. He hoped the pattern continued. It would make it easier to prevent losing her in the mêlée that would occur when the raid hit. Shortly after dusk, a few late party arrivals showed up. Their arrival added a new concern: lack of manpower. Earlier reports gave the number of guests at thirty-five, but Needril estimated the number had risen to at least forty-two. Combined with the thirty guards who patrolling inside the mansion and the compound grounds. put his forty officers at a two to one disadvantage. Still, every Borel justice officer, including supervisors and his surveillance team, would take part in this venture. The key to success lay in the officers determination to end the Continuum.

If they were successful, this first big stake-out and the raid would boost these young officers' confidence. A lot rode on the success of this raid, including the force's standing in legal circles. He and H'Tarle had trained them well and so far, despite their inexperience, he was proud of them. The team dutifully logged every new arrival and mapped every possible escape route. They committed details of the generator and shields to memory and were ready to take down their target. Their excitement did lead to an ongoing commentary that made Needril chuckle.

Their inside mole reported the dozen prisoners were in a heavily shielded bunker. Bio-scans verified their presence, but the bunker had few outside guards, and only standard shielding. The discrepancy confused the officers. The man was right on everything else, so this error made no sense. Needril sent word back to H'Tarle requesting deeper scans. He wanted to know why the mole's report was so different from current reality. He didn't want one of his young officers, or the prisoners, killed because someone made a mistake gathering intelligence. Thirty minutes and three deep scans later, they had an answer.

Ever the master planner, NaV0 had created a near perfect trap for anyone trying to raid her compound. Heavy shielding installed around the perimeter gave the impression that she was afraid of the outside world. Minimal shielding installed around the prisoner's building encouraged anyone raiding the compound to head for the easiest target, which was an elaborate trap. They would be dead before they entered: a laser web would cut intruders apart and trigger a bomb that would collapse the bunker. She had a second laser wired into the tunnel. For the next two hours, Needril nervously waited for his boss to find a way around the traps.

An hour before the scheduled raid, the mole's latest update brought further bad news. He couldn't get the new shielding codes, and he'd lost track of the girl thought to be the Princess. He worried that, after finding a servant naked and crying in the hall, one of the slime-ball guests had grabbed her. This thing was rapidly turning into a nightmare.

_At least_, Needril thought,_ there's no moon._

Reguluns' superb night vision made pitch-black night perfect for watching the guards. As the hours passed, inexperience began showing with an increase in the amount of chatter in his earwig. He threatened a few with midnight patrols for a month if they failed to stay focused on their jobs. As he watched the guards shift their posts, he sent a prayer to the Gods that nothing went wrong. The change in positions required a revised plan of attack . Just as he forwarded his new plan and asked about the codes, new activity in the compound caught his eye.

"Boss, are you watching the guy in grid sixteen? He just came out of the prisoner's building headed for the east wall," one of the officers reported.

"I got him." Needril watched the live feed with growing interest as t he young human maintained a leisurely pace until he was twenty feet from the perimeter shields, when he suddenly sprinted for the edge of the compound. Making their first arrest really couldn't be as easy as this - could it? Needril clapped his hands together as he watched the unaware young guard run into the shadows, deactivate a section of the force field, and push his way through. Needril tapped the console comm button. They might just pull this raid off yet.

"Heegla?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Take two men and grab this guy. He's coming out ten degrees east of your position. Do not make any noise. We don't need this to fush'ta before we start. Get that guy up here. Let's find out why he's going for an evening stroll when his buddies are getting ready to party."

o0o

Needril leaned against the console with his arms crossed waiting for Heegla to escort their new prisoner to his ship. He wasn't sure what to expect from the young man, but five minutes after he defected, the pale, scared guard stood in front of him looking confused and lost.

"Who are you?" Needril kept his tone strictly authoritative.

"Mikel Vnoth, sir." he said nervously. A sheen of perspiration covered his upper lip. Having his hands cuffed behind his back didn't stop his anxious fidgeting.

If he was reading this human right, Needril guessed he'd suffered an emotional shock. "So, Mikel Vnoth, why did you go for a little stroll? I mean, your boss is having a pretty good party. Don't you benefit if things go well?"

"Because I..." revulsion filled his voice, "look ... I just needed to make some money to send to my family. I figured; watch a few people, keep my eye on the Mistress' property - how hard could that be? I didn't think I'd have to stand by and watch people torture other people." His voice grew louder, more frantic as he spoke. "I can't do it any more. There isn't enough money on this planet to watch that."

Needril arched one feathered eyebrow in worry as he straightened. "Who's being tortured?" he said with a forced calm that he didn't feel.

"I don't know what his name is, but my boss beat him half to death. They sent me to that cell four times and each time ...," he swallowed. "I tried to help him - - I did," he answered defensively.

"What place? You mean the building you walked away from?"

Mikel nodded.

"You're in a lot of trouble, Mikel. Your boss is going to jail; everyone that works for or with her, is going to jail. Do you want to go to jail, Mikel?" Needril smiled with the implied threat.

The young guard gave Needril a surprised look, as if jail hadn't occurred to him. "Not particularly, sir," he squeaked.

"Good, I don't think you would do well there. If you want to stay out; tell me about that building."

Mikel shivered, his eyes glazed over in memory. "It's a bunch of cells. I thought it was an old jail, but today they put thirteen people in there, calling them merchandise. I was going to quit after today. When she hired me, I didn't know she was a slaver. Then, they turned that guy over to these... I mean, he was defenceless and they - did things. I just - not any more." He turned even more pale than before.

"Is he alive?" Needril forced himself to stay detached.

"He was when I left, but I don't think he'll last long. I swear, I didn't know stuff like that would happen." His remorse filled voice trembled.

"Like what? What did they do?"

"They hurt him, you know," he glanced at Needril's groin as he hesitated, "hurt ... him." The young man looked at his feet, unwilling to say more.

Needril straightened as he realised what the boy was talking about. If the humans found out - - he shook the thought away and kept his tone even. "Tell me about the security."

"They wired a laser web to the main door and inside the tunnel. If that fails, the Mistress gave orders tonight to blow the building - with the prisoners inside."

"I wouldn't suppose you know the security codes?" Needril asked the young man who nodded. He couldn't believe their luck.

"Boss? Guess what I've got?" he crowed to H'Tarle a moment later.

o0o

The sight of his boss' command vehicle arriving on site, filled Needril with relief. A moment later, the man strode, and assumed command. Needril gladly handed over the young guard's interrogation, leaving his boss alone to grill the young man for close to twenty minutes. Needril paced outside the command vehicle wondering what questions he'd failed to asked. H'Tarle finally came out looking tight-lipped and overly detached. The change in his demeanour worried Needril, and made the other supervisors nervous leaving them to wonder what else had gone wrong.

"Heegla, get over here." H'Tarle yelled at the young supervisor as he motioned the humans to join them. "This is Captain Harkness and his team. Our mole now has the web codes. Take the humans and hit that building as soon as the shields drop. I want NaV0's so-called prisoners protected at all costs. As soon as they're secured, get them to the medics. Captain," he swallowed, "it seems that your Doctor is hurt. According to the guard who defected, he's in need of immediate medical attention. You gave your supplies to the medics, right?"

"I did, yeah." Rory answered.

"How hurt?" Jack asked quietly as River and Amy paled.

"I'm not sure: the kid says that a prisoner who matches the Doctor's description is his boss' favourite whipping boy. They've tortured him for his entire stay in that hell hole. I'm not sure what else they've done." He hated the lie, but it was the best course of action at the moment. They would find out soon enough.

H'Tarle flashed reassuring smile at River. "We'll get him out, Curly Tops," he told her gently. "We're getting them all out," he said firmly before turning to Needril.

"Everybody - positions," he ordered into comm link.

o0o

The officers drew their weapons and waited for word that the perimeter shields were down. At precisely the ninth hour, the EM pulse took out the shield generator, followed a second later by confirmation in H'Tarle's earwig that the inside mole had taken out the inside shields and disabled the laser webs. He let out a breath and snarled into his com link, "Now, move -now!"

The officers swept across the compound. Startled guards dispersed across the grounds fighting to protect the mansion. Weapons fire and stun grenades shattered the peaceful night. The same guards that, only moments before, watched the party through windows, now fought to protect their boss. They were no match for H'Tarle's better trained officers. Aerial squads swooped down from transports and snatched the guards missed by the ground forces. Less than ten guards reached the mansion to defend the Mistress."

The instant the shields fell, Heegla and Jack led their squad across the compound to the prisoners ' outbuilding. Keeping low to avoid stray weapons fire, they battled the guards standing between them and their target. Three fell while the rest tried to for more protected positions only to find themselves snatched from above. Four of Heegla's men covered the group as they reached the massive wooden doors of the prisoner's building. Jack and Rory stood their weapons drawn waiting for Amy to complete the necessary scans.

She looked up at Jack and the Regulun commander with a huge grin on her face. "The shields are down, and we've got multiple bio-signs. One is moving through the tunnel, coming this way; a second one is moving to the south end of the hall. I'm picking up stationary bio-signatures. I know it's the prisoners; the numbers are right." Her smile broadened. "The last bio-sign is all the way at the south-west corner of the building," Amy whispered. Her heart pounded with excitement. "I'm picking up a double heartbeat," She giggled with relief. "He's alive. Rory - he's alive," she said almost disbelieving her own eyes.

"So, we have two moving targets and fourteen stationary targets, right?" Heegla asked.

Amy nodded, "right."

"We need to stop the two that are moving," Heegla snarled, "they can still blow this place with a detonator!"

Weapons fire and confused voices echoed through the night as the squad took their positions along each side of the door. Four men with a battering ram slammed into the heavy-wooden double doors. One blow took off the right door at its hinges. Heegla tossed stun grenade through the opening knocking the guard running in from the tunnel off his feet. As he collapsed, a detonator rolled out of his hand. He scrambled to retrieve it only to have a rifle butt smack into his head. The team moved further into the hallway, securing terrified prisoners as they went.

So, far, Jack thought, this thing is going like clockwork.

And then he saw her. Her terror plainly written on her young face, she stared at them in disbelief. He felt her mind scream to someone else.

_Don't run,_ he whispered mentally.

But she did.

"Don't run - - please," he yelled as she headed for the far end of the hall.

o0o

A flash bang echoed in the hallway, followed by screams from prisoners cowering in their cells. K'Nar's terror tore through the Doctor's mind. Sheer willpower mixed with adrenaline forced him up to move. Her screams mixed with those of the other prisoners rocked him to his core. He couldn't comprehend why someone would bomb the building. The need to save her forced him up on legs that felt like rubber. He had to get to her; to protect her. He tried to scream her name, but couldn't make his voice work.

_I'm coming, just get to the door,_ he screamed to her mind.

_Someone is attacking, Lord. Bad people are coming. Go now, I will find you_.

Her fear flooded him_. No, not without you . Run to me, K'Nar: run now._ He screamed through their link.

"Run!" he finally managed to bellow the single word as adrenaline flooded his battered body. He clawed his way to the door, and using the frame for support, reached to grasp her fingers managing to pull her small hand tightly in his. His victory lasted a millisecond before a second grenade clattered down the hallway They stared first at each other, and then at the thing in disbelief. The concussive force tore her from him as the wave threw them both to the floor. The agony caused by the fall did not compare to the pain of her horrified expression or hearing his own voice scream her name. Still clutching the strap, his fall activated the manipulator filling the room with crackling electricity of the opening vortex. The force field formed, and helpless to avoid the inevitable, swallowed him.

o0o

K'Nar's screamed as she felt him tear from her mind. She felt frozen to the spot where she fell. A human woman ran past as strange hands yanked her to feet. She could hear the woman scream profanities as the hands spun her around to face them. There were so many faces; their emotions slammed against her just as hard as the wave. The woman came back out of his cell screaming her rage.

But K'Nar found her voice and screamed back, "You can't hurt him, and neither can the Mistress!" Her own surge of adrenaline fed her will to fight back. Her little fists pummelled a man as she kicked at the swarming bodies.

"He's safe," she kept screaming at them, "He's safe from the monsters, and he is safe from you! No one can ever hurt him again.",

The woman kicked the wall. What did you do ?" the red-headed woman's face contorted in utter rage. "What did you do ?"

"Amy, calm down," a man pulled the irate woman away from the K'Nar, "she's just a kid."

Another man pulled K'Nar around to him. "What's your name ?" His voice was calmer, but he was as irate as the woman. His blue coat swirled around him as he moved. All the angry faces blurred into each other as she yanked her arm away.

"You can't hurt him now," K'Nar snarled back at the mob surrounding her. "You can kill me if you want, but my Lord is safe !" Her terror enveloped her to her very soul, but she would never tell these humans where he went. She would protect him even now.

A curly-haired woman yelled: "everybody back away from her!"

Then she felt the man in the long coat touch her mind._ You're a telepath?_ she whispered back suddenly confused.

_Yes,_ he whispered._ Listen, little one, just calm down and listen._

_No one here can break through my shields. How? _she whispered back._ She felt him chuckle at her and felt herself beginning to calm._

_I'm not from around here. I need you to stay calm and listen. We're going to use words now, so this lot doesn't feel left out. Okay?_

She just nodded.

"We don't want to hurt him ; we came to get him out of here," the man said.

K'Nar stared at the strangers who'd stepped back from her. Their fury rolled into her head. Despite his reassurances tickling her mind, she couldn't breathe. The terror of the last few weeks and months came crashing in. This wasn't happening; none of this was happening. She shook uncontrollably.

Once more, she'd failed her Lord.

Weeks - months of fear threatened to drown her. She couldn't feel the strangers' confusion or concern. She couldn't feel anything except the hole left by his sudden departure. K'Nar turned, unsure of what to do. Her thirteen year old brain couldn't absorb the events. She tried to enter his cell; to at least be close to his scent, but couldn't make her legs work. He was gone - without her. She was totally alone. The realisation sent her to her knees in despair. She rocked back and forth keening in grief.

In a heartbeat, the two women knelt beside her. "Sweetheart, it's alright, you'll be alright," the red-headed woman tried to calm her.

"Are you Princess K'Nar Llew of Vshak?" a birdman asked quietly. She finally nodded numbly.

"Your Highness, we were looking for you. My name is Heegla and I am a Justice officer. We came to get you out of here; to take you home. You're safe now."

All K'Nar could do was stare numbly at the telepath in front of her. She'd shut his voice out of her head.

"Not yet," he intervened, "Princess, my name is Jack," he forced himself to speak as gently as if this was Steven, "we came to take him home. I know you're scared, but I promise; we won't let anyone hurt you. Our scanners aren't picking him up. Where is he?"

She ignored his question. "The other humans. They hurt him so much. They did things to him. They did horrible things," K'Nar's words came out in a torrent. "I forgot the key. It was in the control room. I went to get it, so I could take this off." She held her wrist up to show the band locked on her wrist. Every emotion she'd kept buried for weeks came rushing to the surface. " I couldn't go, unless I could transform. I had to look like him. I forgot it. " She couldn't stop shaking.

"Honey," Jack repeated slowly. "Where did he go?"

"He went home," she answered, her voice quivered.

"K'Nar, what do you mean - he went home ?" The older woman looked at her, "honey, we want to help."

K'Nar felt the woman trying to stay calm and took a deep breath to force herself to do the same. She desperately wanted her mother, and nearly collapsed into the woman when she felt arms wrap around her in a hug. Slowly, her sobs gave way to quiet tears.

"Sweetie, My name is River, please ; we need you calm down and tell us what happened? Where did you send him? Please, he's our friend, our very best friend. We have come a long way to get him. Please, honey," she begged, "help us. "

K'Nar pulled away. She knew that name. He called for that name. It dawned on her who these strangers were. Their faces were happy and smiling inside his blue box. "You're River? You're the faces. I've messed it all up." She sobbed again.

"Honey, my name is Amy." The angry red-head tried to sound nice. "You have to calm down and tell us what you did. Did he tell you about us?"

"I saw you in his mind. He said his friends would come. " She pulled back, "but you didn't, " she sobbed angrily. "No one came. Why didn't you come?"

"Oh, Honey," River stroked her head.

"We had to get out, so I took a vortex manipulator from a guest, and he programmed it to take us to his home. "

"He doesn't have a home except - " The second spoke, only to have Heegla interrupt him.

"Captain Harkness, Mr Williams ?" Heegla stood at the door of the control room.

Jack's head jerked around at his name. He had almost forgotten the officers still in the hallway.

"NeRa, " Heegla ordered the officer with the princess, "take the ladies and the Princess to the house. Get a medic for her. Captain, the Inspector is on his way here. Can you and Mr Williams please come here - now ?" The man was insistent.

"We're not leaving," both Amy and River protested.

"Go, both of you, please." Rory kissed his wife on the temple and glanced toward K'Nar, "get her out of here."

"He wanted you to take him home," K'Nar mumbled more to herself than to these strangers.

"Oh God," Amy swallowed her rage.

"Come on, Amy," River swallowed her own tears. "Let's get her upstairs." The two women helped the sobbing girl stand up, and followed the officers to the tunnel.

o0o

Jack and Rory joined the officer in the control room. " I couldn't let them see this, " the officer said quietly, " it's almost too much for me, and believe me, I have seen a lot. "

A bank of video screens filled the room; all but three turned off. Those screens showed the two rooms of torture and the Doctor's now empty cell.

The officer moved his mike down. "H'Tarle's in the tunnel, " he told them quietly. " They videoed everything. " The officer handed Jack a stack of vid chips. "There are hours and hours of this. Maybe they wanted to memorialise what they did for eternity. It's no wonder the girl ran from us. She probably thought we were coming to do the same. "

The officer turned the cameras off, hit replay on the vid screen, and watched the last chip in the player. They watched as a guard took Doctor from his cell and delivered him to the last room on the right. They saw the terror on his bruised face as he backed up against a wall. Silence filled the control room as the events in that room played out on the monitor. When the tall Chief Inspector walked in, he found the men watching the replay with horror.

"It's the Valiant all over again," Jack muttered to himself; pushing away the memory. Neither of the men seemed to notice the comment.

"Bloody Hell. " Rory sat down hard in a chair, and then without a word, he stood back up, found a bin and emptied his stomach.

Jack laid his own shaking hand on Rory's shoulder, and pulled him to his feet. " Come on kid, we need to find the Doc. " Before he walked out, he looked at H'Tarle. "Did you know?"

"The kid only said they turned him over to some real low-lifes. He couldn't get the words out, but yeah, I figured it out. I'm sorry Captain. If you'd known, you would have been reckless. I couldn't take a chance."

Jack nodded. "Don't ever tell River or Amy you knew. They might get..."

"Testy!" Rory spoke up. "How am I supposed to tell Amy this?"

"Let's go kid," Jack pulled him out.

H'Tarle turned back and glared at the screen as he growled at Heegla. " Find that trash. Make sure they're upstairs. Check every single cupboard, cubbyhole, and nook. Check under the beds. Match faces to this vid. I want those three, and I don't care how we get them, or -" he glared at his officer; his guttural voice dripped with rage, "what shape they are in when they hit my cells."

o0o

**_A/N Fu'shta Regulun for things going south or wonky_**


	12. Chapter 12 The Aftermath

Gentlemen, may I have your attention!" An elegantly dressed Madam NaV0 shouted over the commotion of her guests, "I'd like to make a toast." When the woman standing in front of the band had the attention of the room, she raised her glass. "To the Continuum. It is ten minutes to the hour, and the dealing has finished. My auditor," she purred, "tells me, we have added fifty million credits to our coffers. I believe, the Continuum has had an excellent first conference, and we are set for the year. I'd like to thank you for coming, and I do hope you enjoy the evening's entertainment. There is food and drink in the dining hall, and upstairs you will find ... Well, I'm sure you know what is upstairs waiting. Enjoy your evening." The woman laughed as she finished her drink.

NaV0 grabbed Malorik and pulled the man to the dance floor. The ballroom filled with techno music and raucous laughter, when weapons fire exploded outside. As Phaser fire and stun grenades filled the compound, the guests scattered running for their own weapons and methods of escape. The guards inside the mansion moved to place themselves between the onslaught of officers and their boss.

"Jahob, go," she screamed at her chief guard.

Jahob ran past the fighting guests and made his way to the back stairs. The door to the tunnel stood open, and the security panel blinked red. The entire system was off-line. He punched a panel hidden in the wall and retrieved a hand detonator from the hidden cubby before racing down the stairs to the tunnels. He was oblivious to the figure who followed and then waited in the shadows. Jahob had just entered the tunnel when the stairwell door slammed shut. The figure laughed as he secured the door. No one would blow the cells today.

The fight that filled the mansion seemed to last forever, but just fifteen minutes after H'Tarle's men piled through the doors and windows, his men began rounding up their prisoners. The officers began their final sweep through the house, looking for stragglers and victims. As they swept upstairs, they found sixteen girls and two young men locked in rooms. They were led out of the mansion and taken to the medics.

The crowd of criminals and hired guns in the ballroom clustered around NaV0. She was a beautiful woman, but her cold eyes were those of a calculating predator. She was unfazed by the change in her evening's plans, instead complaining about a spilt drink on her flowing purple evening gown. This was not quite the way she expected to end the evening, but she'd paid people and wasn't particularly worried. She laughed as she watched with amusement as two female strangers walked into the ballroom with the shape-shifter. A few moments later, her smile broadened when she saw her man walk in with two male strangers. She tutted and told her fellow members that they would all be fine; this was all for show.

o0o

Once the prisoner's building was secure, H'Tarle headed to the ballroom to oversee securing the perpetrators. His men were making a final sweep upstairs in the wings of the mansion, still rounding up few of NaV0's guests that were trying to hide among the frightened servants. He half listened to the radio chatter of his men as he re-joined Needril and the humans. He had expected to feel jubilant over the success of this raid. Instead, a dark rage was eating at his stomach. The last thing, he wanted to hear as he joined the group of bitterly disappointed Earthers, was the sound of NaV0 voice.

"Did you enjoy my pets, Inspector? I charge for visiting them. By the way; I want my money back. I paid you for protection, and I'm not feeling very protected," she smiled coyly at H'Tarle.

H'Tarle barely noticed the reactions of the humans next to him. Nor did he notice that Rory had joined his wife. All he saw was the human female in the centre of the prisoners. It took a second, but he forced his rage aside and crossed the ballroom to his prisoner. "I'd love to return the money, Madam, but it was sealed and turned over to the Council, along with the money you paid to the Judges. A charge of bribery has been added to your list of crimes. Did I mention: by order of the Justice Council you are under arrest for crimes against the government of Regulus IV, the territory of K'Bal, the township of Borel and its people. The specific charges will be given to you when you are brought before the court. Oh, by the way, as you humans like to say: I am one hell of a liar. Welcome to my world. And - and I just love this expression; I heard it from my new friend, Captain Harkness - may you rot in hell," H'Tarle snarled the last quietly.

VaN0 's eyes narrowed, but her expression never changed. " She makes a very good dog, you know. " She nodded toward K'Nar. "I think, your men will be ... very entertained." Her lip curled in a half smile.

H'Tarle had never struck a female of any species, and it required all his strength to keep his hands off this woman's throat. Silence fell in the ballroom. He knew that his men, at least, were waiting for him to explode. But the Regulun was first and foremost a professional, and that meant he needed to set the example. He balled his hands into tight fists and kept them rigidly at his side. After a long moment of silence, a cold smile crossed his face as he leaned in close to her. Making sure that no one heard, he whispered something in her ear and walked away, not bothering to look back. If he had, he would have seen the woman blanch.

H'Tarle smiled at River and Jack. He thanked the Gods that they didn't believe NaV0's accusations. He knew they didn't because they both flashed smiles at him. It would have killed him if Curly Tops thought he was crooked. H'Tarle noticed that Jack had a firm grip on River. Still, the smiles could not hide the controlled rage he saw in their eyes. So, far, the self-control shown by these humans amazed him. He hoped it would continue, but he had his doubts. Even they had limits, and he was real sure they were at theirs: he certainly was.

"Spent a long time pretending that you're a crooked, low-level politician, huh?" Jack quipped as he clapped a hand on H'Tarle's shoulder.

H'Tarle chuckled, "I am a very good liar when I have to be." His expression grew serious, "have you told Curly Tops?"

"Told me what?" River asked.

o0o

Rory watched the exchange between H'Tarle and NaV0 with his arms wrapped tightly around Amy. He didn't know where the courage to break his wife's heart would come from. He really didn't. The rage that he felt standing in this room, came a very close second to what he felt on his Demons Run. He wondered when or even if, this nightmare would ever end, and if the anger would ever go away.

Part of him was furious with the Doctor for getting them all in this mess, and for that, he was deeply ashamed. Amy's heart pounded against his chest as she trembled in his arms. He kissed her temple, and hoped she would never know that, the thought to blame this mess on their friend had even crossed his mind. Please, he thought, give me the words.

"Rory ?"

He looked down at her beautiful face and swallowed hard at the tide of emotions reflected in her eyes. "Yeah." His voice sounded hollow even to his ears.

" What happened? What did that officer show you ?" Her voice trembled with the question.

"I'll explain in a minute," he murmured quietly. "I promise: I will. Just give me a second."

It was actually a couple of minutes before he could ease his grip on Amy. He glanced over at Jack and the others. River's face told him that Jack had just told her. Her look of cold fury mixed with revulsion matched Jack's. He watched H'Tarle slip an arm around her waist in support. His swallowed before kissing the top of her head . He needed one last chance to maintain his composure. Before he moved, he inhaled, and then, pulling Amy into an even closer protective hug, he slowly exhaled. He felt her body tense from the pressure.

He placed one more tender kiss on the top of her head before he finally whispered the words, " They hurt him, Amy. They ..." he struggled to say it, "Amy ... they raped him - -"

"Oh God, no," Amy screamed into his chest as she sobbed. His arms caught her as she buckled.

"There were three of them," he continued over her sobs. "It's why she - - K'Nar - - told him to leave. She thought we were coming to do the same. That's why, she fought us so hard." His voice trembled as he spoke.

Rory squeezed his eyes shut to stop his own tears as he felt his shirt get wet from Amy's tears. For several minutes the two stood there, barely aware of the noise from NaV0 or her cronies protesting their arrests. Finally, when Amy pulled back, her rage-filled eyes made him wonder if this was her last straw.

"Hey," River spoke softly as she joined them.

"River," Rory wrapped his arms around both women. "You going to be OK?" he murmured to his daughter. The last thing he wanted was for her to wind up in another cell because she'd lost it.

River nodded. "Let's just wrap this up as fast as we can." River took Amy's trembling hand. "Mother, we need to finish talking to K'Nar, and then we need to find him."

o0o

Amy managed to make the shaky walk back to K'Nar only because River and Rory kept their arms around her. They pushed through the ring of protective officers to find the frightened, traumatised child sitting on a small couch. As the medic finished removing the bracelet that NaV0 used to enslave her, they all witnessed a startling transformation. In literally, the blink of an eye, a petite silvery blue child with indigo blue eyes replaced the grey being they'd first met. Those eyes bore straight into Amy's soul. Long black hair, held in an untidy braid, hung down her back. The delicate, almost ethereal child reminded Amy of the faeries in her childhood stories. Despite her dishevelled appearance, she gave the impression of a piece of delicate porcelain. Both Amy and River couldn't help smiling at the teen who, despite looking confused and utterly lost, flashed them a tired smile. As her guard stepped apart to let the medic pass, she saw servants heading toward the waiting medics. The haunted expression on her face, added to Amy's heartbreak.

"He's not here, K'Nar," Amy said gently as she sat next to her.

"I know, really I do. I was looking for my friend TBrae. They said they found her," she answered softly, sounding so broken and alone.

"I'm sorry, I thought that you were looking for him." Amy was afraid to lay even a hand on her even to comfort her. She looked incredibly delicate.

"At first, I thought ... maybe, but no. Other than my Lord, TBrae was my only friend here, and," K'Nar said quietly, swallowing her tears, "I made a mess of things for both of them. I really am sorry."

Amy drew a breath, and wrapped an arm around the shivering girl. The simple touch made Amy's skin tingle - as if a butterfly had landed on her skin. She couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for this fragile looking girl; forced to exist in horrible circumstances, had survived. She lived all these weeks by her wits, and now suddenly, she was forced to revert back to a child. It was hard to believe she had survived at all, let alone saved the Doctor.

"How old are you, Sweetie?" River knelt in front of her.

"Thirteen summers," she snuffled as she reached for River's hand. "Am I going to go to jail now?"

"What ? No - - why would you think you're going to jail?" River sounded stunned. "Sweetheart, these people stole you; you're going home." She took a breath as she caressed K'Nar's hand. "How did they take you?"

"On my birthday, I tricked my protector to leave me, and I went to the bazaar alone. My parents never let me go. Nela said it was fun, and I just wanted to see. I was looking at the pets, and then, I woke up on a ship. The Mistress brought me here."

"Honey, you don't go to jail for being disobedient. You might have to stay in your room for a month, but not jail." River smiled.

"You don't understand. What I did - - it is against the laws of my world. My parents will be very angry." K'Nar huffed slightly, swallowing the urge to cry.

"You mean for what you did with the Doctor?" Amy asked.

K'Nar nodded.

" I'm sorry that these - - people took you away from your home and that, they hurt you. I am very sorry that we scared you, but..." Amy gently kissed the child on the forehead. "We miss the Doctor very much and we want to take him home. Honey, you have to tell us what happened before we came?"

K'Nar swallowed, took a deep breath. "I am Vshak, a mind talker, and a maruc. You call us telepaths and shape shifters. The Mistress called me her pet, and put that bracelet on my arm. She forced me to turn into things ... disgusting things. It forced me to hold whatever they programmed; it hurt so much. She would turn it off, and then try to make me scan others; to tell their secrets to her. When I wouldn't, she would turn back on. But, I made her think that I was mind blind," K'Nar said proudly. "After a while, she just gave up, and grew tired of me. She left me to look like a grey. When my Lord came, they made me take care of him. At first, I thought my eyes would burn, but they didn't."

K'Nar shuddered, prompting Amy to hold her tighter. "What do you mean: your eyes would burn ?" Amy encouraged. The question gave voice to everyone's confusion.

"It's a fact: if a maiden sees a male without clothes, her eyes will burn," she answered. "Don't human maidens go blind if they see a male ... without his - clothes?" she asked shyly. She sounded so innocent that it made all of them smile.

"No, we don't," Amy answered gently trying not to chuckle at the girl's look of disbelief.

K'Nar shook her head, and continued. "They took all of his clothes away - - except his under-thing. They made me, strip it away, leaving him as he was born. They took everything. He didn't even have a mattress, or a blanket, so I planted the idea in a guard's mind to get them. And, he did." She sounded amazed.

"She sent men to beat him - - all the time. They hurt him ... so - badly. His shields were so low , so it was easy to scan his memories. I did not at first. Truly, I tried to keep the law. I just helped him to rebuild his shields, and helped him not hurt so much. He got so tired of the pain. Finally, he was so weak, and so afraid that he'd tell of the TARDIS. He asked me to help protect her. I did not realise, until I saw her, in his memories, that she is a living being. She sheltered him, and he was protecting her. He would die to keep her safe. I saw your faces in her. "

K'Nar drew a breath, trying hard not to lose complete control, but she couldn't stop the tears.

"He worried that he had failed you, and it hurt him. He thought ... There were things in his memory; so many sad memories. He thought that, he should be punished for them. But then it was too much, and he was afraid for his ship and for you. He just wanted to go home. He was happy on a place called Earth; that is his home. Then, they gave him some drug; it made him see terrible, horrible things." The memory was her last straw as K'Nar broke down and sobbed in Amy's arms.

"It's alright, Sweetie. Take your time." River said, her voice strained.

"I saw his faces in his memories, and I realised he's a shape shifter, sort of like me. His real home is gone, so I strengthened his memory of Earth. I planted an explanation for his differences, so that he thinks that he is human. I found his child name and combined it with the name in his memory of Earth. I tricked his body and his brain to believe it's human. I hid the memory of his TARDIS - to protect her. He will just remember her name, but not what she is, like a dream. I hid all the rest of his memories - except his allergy, and then I planted a link, so that we can mind talk. I made sure that, no matter what I look like, he would know me by my voice."

Jack had listened without saying anything, "K'Nar, How ? How did you change ... You wipe his memories ?" He asked obviously stunned by her abilities. " All of his memories ?"

K'Nar leaned further into Amy before she answered, "he hurt so much. I had to stop his pain. Some Vshakians can do it. You alter the electrical impulses in the brain to accept whatever you implant," she answered defensively, " I tricked the guards to feed him, and the Mistress to believe I was mind blind. I couldn't do it to the people who hurt and beat him because they were too evil. I wasn't strong enough to get past it. It's easy if they are distracted, but they were so dark." She shuddered again, "I couldn't get past the blackness. I couldn't stop it. He shut me out because he thought he was going to die, and I couldn't warn him that they were coming. I don't want to go to jail. Please, tell my mother I tried to do the right thing."

She looked up at Jack, "Every time they hurt him, he fought back. He never gave in, not even once, so they would hit him again. It was too much ... Then, those - - they..." K'Nar's voice broke. "I don't understand what they did, but it hurt him. It hurt - - so much more than the beatings, and he couldn't think, so - - he went away. I brought him back out of hiding, but I couldn't let him remember." She looked down at her hands scrunching the fabric of her shift. "Please, I want my mother ... Tell her I'm sorry."

"K'Nar, Sweetie ... it will be alright. Your mother won't be angry, I promise," River reassured her. "What do you mean, he went away and you brought him out of hiding?"

K'Nar drew a breath. " In his mind, he was hiding in his mind. I made him come back. I was going to go with him, and hide on Earth ' till he found his ship. When he was well, I would help him remember, and then he could take me home. That was the plan - my plan. I just wanted us both to be safe. We didn't think anyone would come. He called, and no one came. I prayed, and no one came. " She sobbed, "I - - just wanted us ... to be safe."

Jack drew a breath and caressed her head gently. "I promise you, K'Nar, you are safe, and you are going home to your parents. They will be so glad to get you back, they're not going to care you went to a Bazaar, and they will think that you are brave and brilliant."

"Find my Lord, please. I'm supposed to be with him; to protect him. Tell him that I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall."

"I will find him: I promise. You have nothing to be sorry for, and these - - people will pay for what they've done to you: to both of you," Jack told her firmly.

"And TBrae?"

"Yeah, and TBrae. K'Nar, your fall had nothing to do with his jump."

"I do not understand, my Lord."

"He fell, and when he did, it triggered the manipulator. You didn't fail, I - - we will find him." Jack promised firmly.

"Jack," River asked, "do you know what she's done? He must have been catatonic. "

Jack shook his head. What he was thinking couldn't be possible.

"She's acted like a chameleon arch. I've seen a lot, but this ... This is a new one on me." River finished.

Amy had a death grip on River's hand trying to keep control as she listened to this child, and then to Jack. She opened and closed her mouth before she found a voice, "Rory, What did I do ?" She looked up at her husband with tears of shame and guilt tracing their way down her cheeks. He thought we wouldn't come." Unable to take any more, Amy ran out the door with Rory close behind.

She screamed her rage to the sky.

Turning around, she sent her husband a look that stopped him in his tracks. It was the same cold look that she gave River on Demons Run. Fury mixed with utter hatred replaced her grief and filled her soul. This was too much. First, her baby, now her best friend was God knows where, alone, and with no memory. She turned around, walked back in , past H'Tarle and his men, past Jack and River, straight for Madam NaV0.

The woman looked at Amy as if she were looking at a bug. The smirk on her face was the wrong thing to do. Amy drew her fist back and, with all her strength, punched NaV0 in the face. Blood gushed from the woman's nose as her head snapped back sharply. The sting in Amy's knuckles made her action all the more satisfying. Still, enraged, she leaned over the woman still lying on the floor.

"Consider that a downpayment," she snarled, barely aware hands grabbed her back. "If we don't find him, or he dies; I swear, you bitch, I will be back to collect the rest!"

"Guess, I worried about the wrong woman," H'Tarle said as he and Jack pulled her away.


	13. Chapter 13 Out of the Vortex part 1

A strong band of late fall thunderstorms pushed across the Ohio River bringing high winds and heavy rains barreling toward the small town of Elizabeth, Kentucky. The cold air made the late October afternoon feel more like late November. It was just too early in the season for the air to have such a bite. But, this was Kentucky, and weather could be capricious, especially this close to the river. By early evening, the town's inhabitants settled in to wait out a storm they worried could turn especially nasty.

The wind picked up steadily, whistling around buildings and through tree branches, shredding the last of the fall leaves. The limbs of the old elm standing at the edge of Plum Alley bent under the wind's force. For nearly fifty years, storms had battered the tree, but other than an occasional lost limb, it had always survived. Still, high up in the tree, a dead limb cracked. The wind ripped away its leaves before tearing through the narrow alley between two rows of older brick buildings. Loose trash scattered across the cobblestone pavement.

Rain fell hard now . Lightning flashed across the cloud-laden sky, followed closely by rolling thunder loud enough to rattle windows. The residents who preferred company while waiting out the storm, gathered at Nan's Cafe . It helped that Nan's sported award-winning hometown cooking, and a state-of-the-art weather scanner. This was tornado country, and storms like this could turn quickly into a nightmare, and with no siren, the scanner provided folks with security. Three years earlier, before Hank bought the scanner, a storm just like this gave birth to a tornado that took out half the town.

Three very old friends: Nan Carson, Hank Munson, and his wife Sarah owned the little café. The almost thirty-year-old friendship began when the husbands were in the Army, but now the foursome had become a trio who didn't do retirement at all well. To prevent boredom, they'd bought a run-down little restaurant as a retirement venture, and re-named it - _Nan's Café._ The project gave all three a renewed zest for life, and, thanks to the hard work and talents of its new owners, the little restaurant became a success.

Nan's reputation as everybody's mom, Hank's ability to cook combined with his military skills as an efficiency expert, plus Sarah's web design brought customers from Fort Knox and tourists as far away as Louisville. Normally, the little café was quiet by five and closed by seven, but tonight, with customers reluctant to venture out, they stayed open and busy. It was certainly more fun for everyone than trying to drive home in the mess.

The sudden crack of lightning hitting the nearby elm caused a young mom to squeal and jump at the unexpected noise. She laughed in embarrassment as she replaced her baby's pacifier. Her squeal reminded the customers why they had chosen to stay for a while. Shortly after five, Hank came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee and a slice of blueberry pie, looked at his partner and flashed a cheeky grin, "Going on break, Nan. Don't let Vince's steak burn. I have a reputation to protect," he teased.

"Don't be a smart-ass, Hank. Sarah wouldn't like it," she said as she stuck her tongue out at her partner.

"She loves my humour and my a -," he replied with a grin. The flicker of lights cut his laughter short. "I'm glad, we splurged on that generator," he glanced at the overhead lights. "We just might need it before this one is over," he said as he headed for the dining room.

The rumble of loud thunder rattled the windows, making the war stories the older black man loved to share, seem especially appropriate. He put the pie and coffee cup on a table to chat with two young soldiers as the other customers went back to their chatter, unaware lightning covered the crackle of electricity and a burst of light in the alley.

o0o

The spatial disturbance occurred between the wooden fence and a large, green wheelie bin. It widened as the time vortex opened into the narrow alley, dropping a body out on the wet pavement. Confused, in agony with his left arm useless, the Doctor was unable to break his fall when the universe dumped him out in a heap. The heel of his left palm struck the pavement forcing his wrist back, snapping it on impact. He rolled over, sucked in a lung full of air, and tried to keep from screaming against this new pain. This made no sense. Just a second ago, he had K'Nar's hand, and then the ground shook, and she was ... The strange light caught up around him, prickling and stinging, as if he'd stuck his tongue in a light socket.

Where was she? Where was he?

Cold rain quickly soaked him, forcing him to blink the water away from his eyes. His first coherent thought was that he was dead, and this was hell, but that made no sense. Being this cold, wet and in so much pain, wasn't possible - if you were dead. Besides, he could taste the ion charges coursing through the air. The sudden roll of thunder sent a wave of panic through him. He'd fallen unprotected in the middle of some sort of a bombing raid. How was that possible? Lightning sparked across the sky, just like the strange light that grabbed him. It only made sense that if the strange light grabbed him, it grabbed her too. He just knew that K'Nar was somewhere close by, caught in this raid like he was. He realised that Nut Job had done this; he just didn't know how she'd managed it.

He had to find her; to save her. "K'NARRRR!" Thunder drowned the sound of his screams.

He squeezed his eyes shut,desperately trying to reach her through their link, but she didn't answer. His head was empty. A long roll of thunder brought his attention back to his immediate predicament. He forced himself to his knees and took stock of where he was. Garbage bins lined a fence. There were buildings just metres away; he was in an alley, but where? The rain poured harder, forcing him to scoot back under an overhang until he was flat against the wall with nowhere else to go.

He tried to wrap his brain around his change of circumstances, but couldn't. He could still hear the screams - K'Nar's screams - in his head. A bomb went off nearby; its shock wave reverberated against his eardrums with each crack of lightning. He had her hand and then ... they pulled her away from him. He reached out to feel for a handhold, and grabbed the handle of a rubbish bin.

"No, no, no, no, give her back," he growled. "You bitch! Give her back!" he screamed to Nut Job's invisible voice still laughing in his head.

His hearts pounded in his chest as he struggled to breathe. Well, he wasn't breathing so much as he was panting - hyperventilating. He forced himself to breathe. Tears mixed with the rain as he fought to control overwhelming panic. He was in agony, fire raged through his insides as some invisible knife twisted in his gut. He was alone, without the one person he could depend on. Those men had - what had they done? Why did he hurt so badly? Things were slipping away, leaving him even more muddled than he'd been before the bombing.

Somehow, Nut Job had managed to take away the voice that told him to find Cardiff and Jack, but how? He sagged against the wall trying to hide from the invading force.

"K'Nar, where are you?" he asked desperately to nothing. "Jack: it said to find Jack." He tried to remember what else the voice said. "I'll find you, I swear. I'm coming," he promised to the air as he struggled to his feet.

Yet another flash of lightning slashed across the dark, cloud-laden sky. The sight was a relief as he realised he wasn't being bombed. He needed to get out of this place. A name popped in his head. The Plass. He needed to get to the Plass to find this Jack person. A destination now set, he stepped out to cross the alley to find a person he couldn't remember. He'd gone three steps when his foot came down on a jagged piece of glass, slicing open the bottom of his foot. Pain shot through his foot and up his leg as hopped and fell against the brick wall. Pain flooded through every part of his body. The next round of thunder covered his screams of frustration.

Why couldn't he catch at least one break from someone - somewhere?

The wall was the only thing keeping him on his feet. He needed to get a grip; to force some sort of reason back into his head, and the pain to go anywhere except the forefront of his brain. Exhausted and shaking from cold, he put the heel of his foot down and hopped. It was only a few metres to the street. How hard could a few metres be? He just needed to take one step at a time until he crossed the alley. Every nerve felt on fire, and every step made the fire worse. The Doctor blinked through the rain, picked a spot on the opposite wall and made reaching it his immediate goal.

He calculated the distance across to under eighteen metres. He stepped out again and began half-hopping his way to the opposite wall. He felt as if he was trying to cross a chasm, and when he didn't think that he could take another step, he reached the wall. For some reason known only to the universe, he suddenly giggled. He was standing with his forehead resting against the rough textured surface, drowning in the rain. This was all a hallucination. A very wet hallucination. It had to be. It was the only explanation for the bizarreness of the situation. He sucked in a lung full of cold air to control the pain, stop his stomach from erupting, and clear his head. A moment; all he needed was a moment. He just needed to give the nausea and pain a chance to ease.

He wasn't sure how long he stood under the slight overhang, but the rain sheeting down his back added to his misery. When he knew that he wouldn't throw up, he pivoted around to glance toward the alley's entrance. Maybe, he could walk out of the hallucination to a place that was warm and dry, and where the pain would go away. It wasn't all that far - another ten - fifteen metres at most until he would be warm and dry. He took another breath and began inching his way down the wall; pouring his remaining energy into keeping, now rubber legs from doing an imitation of Gumby. It required all of his willpower to ignore the searing pain and stay focused on reaching his second goal.

As he moved down the wall, he didn't notice the roughness of the brick wall had changed to the smoothness of glass. He stopped to rest, once more trying to will strength back into his legs. He refused to let them buckle; he would not pass out in this alley like some drunk. He glanced toward the end of the alley. He could see the parked cars out on the street now. He could do this. He would find whoever the bloody hell Jack was, and make Nut Job and Moron pay.

The street lights at the alley's entrance cast a shadow on the wall.

"K'Nar?"

She was under the light, but when he called louder, her image vanished in the flash of lightning. His mind churned with the possibility that he was insane. What if Jack isn't real? If Jack isn't real, he thought, then ... God, where the bloody hell am I? K'Nar, where are you? I can't remember ... I can't remember what I'm supposed to do. Home, I ... where's home? He shook the rain from his hair in a vain effort to clear confusion away. Cardiff, I have to find Cardiff, and the Plass. Jack has to be real.

Using the window for support, he started again, slowly inching toward the street. As long as Jack was real, then so was he.

o0o

Hank sipped his coffee, laughing with the two young soldiers who shared his table. He liked telling the kids what it was like as a soldier in the eighties and nineties. They were curious why a trained, decorated soldier would switch to cooking. They laughed when he explained that he just liked to cook - a lot. The year after the war started, they sent him to Iraq for his last tour of duty. That was the year, he fed Thanksgiving dinner to the troops during a sandstorm. There was just something about the images of sand, turkey and uncomfortable celebrities that struck the young men as funny. Or at least, the way Hank told the story; it was funny. They had pictures in their heads of Kid Rock and Gary Sinise picking sand from their food while supporting the troops at holiday time.

Hank took a swallow of coffee then nearly choked when he glanced at the café's side window. "What the hell?" Hank swore as he jumped up knocking his chair back. The man grabbed a coat from the coat rack and was out the door before anyone had time to ask him what was wrong. Less than a minute later, the two soldiers grabbed their coats and joined him. Stunned customers moved to the window to see the thin frame of a stranger pressed against the glass trying to inch his way past Hank and the two soldiers.

o0o

The young man standing in front Hank was a mess. He flattened his body against the window at the sight of two soldiers rushing out of the café behind Hank. Hank motioned the young men back while he tried to figure out how to help the rain-soaked stranger pressed against his window. The sight of wet clothes plastered to his body and rainwater dripping from scraggly strands of hair reminded Hank of a drowning, cornered rat. The young man didn't even bother shaking the water out of his eyes. He said nothing, but his one good eye never left Hank as he tried to inch his way down the wall.

"Hank?" the oldest of the two soldiers finally asked.

"Yeah."

"Where the hell did he come from?"

"Don't know yet," he replied.

The stranger said nothing as he continued to inch his way past them. It seemed that only the window held him up. The café's light was enough to see that someone had used him for a punching bag, and from what Hank could see, far more. He squinted at them through a right eye nearly swollen shut. Bruises covered his face. His left arm hung useless by his side. Blood mixed with rainwater under his feet.

"We should -" Hank started.

The stranger stopped and did something neither Hank or the two soldiers expected. He giggled at them.

When he spoke, his hoarse voice and slurred words startled them. "I've gone bloody mental," he giggled again. "I've got people in my hallucination. And their talking - with mouths. This is too rich."

"Son, you're not hallucinating," Hank answered as he stepped closer.

"Leave. Me. Alone." Sudden rage replaced the giggles. "You're not real. Go away."

"Son, my name is Hank Munson." The older man kept his voice low and calm. "The guys behind me are Vince and Dave. They are soldiers from Knox. We are very real. We just want to help you get out of the storm."

"Hank, I think, he's high," Vince interjected.

"Shut up, Vince," Hank said quietly as he flashed a no-nonsense look at the young soldier. "He's not high; he's in shock."

Dave nodded at the dark stains of blood on the young man's trousers, "Hank, did you notice?"

"Yeah, I did," Hank answered softly as he nodded. "We'll worry about that in a minute." He turned to face the young man pressed against the window.

"You're in a bit of a fix: let us help you," Hank said as he tried to step closer. The young man wasn't much older than the pair of twenty-two year-olds standing with him.

"No, no, no. Not real," the stranger closed his eyes and muttered to himself.

"You can touch me, if you want son, but - - this is real."

Hank wasn't sure what to expect when a second later, the young man peaked at him. "You're not a hallucination?" he mumbled suspiciously.

"No," Hank said gently.

Hank watched him process the information, but his reaction was not what he expected. "Stay - away - from - me. I don't need your help. I'm asking you properly."

With his eyes bruised and swollen, Hank wondered just how well the stranger could actually see. _No wonder, the boy thinks he's hallucinating,_ Hank thought. It was also painfully obvious that if he could, he would crawl through the wall to escape.

"I don't want to fight you, but I will. I swear ... I will," he growled. "I just need to find her," he said suddenly sounding exhausted.

Hank watched the young man flex the fingers of his right hand in what - anger - frustration? Hank wondered. He kept his voice soft hoping that he came across reassuringly, parental. "Well, I could just leave you out here," Hank said lightly, "but, then - I'd feel terrible if you passed out or something. And, my friends would be mad, so," Hank said as he took one step closer, "I guess - that's just not happening," he said firmly.

He tried to slip a coat around the terrified young man, but it felt like trying to put a saddle blanket on the back of an unbroken colt. The young man recoiled from his touch. It had been a long time since Hank had anyone look at him with terror-filled eyes. This young man shifted his gaze back and forth, obviously trying to figure a way past. , Hank just kept talking softly, hoping he could convince him to trust him.

"Leave - me - alone," the young man growled again. as he took a tentative step sideways, his good hand went to his belly. He grimaced in obvious pain.

"We're not going to hurt you, but we are getting you inside. This storm is getting worse." Hank motioned to Vince and Dave to flank him, blocking any chance that he could get past.

Hank wasn't sure how the young man actually understood, but there was no way Hank was letting him leave this alley.

As if to back up his statement, a strong gust of wind caught the elm's cracked branch sending it crashing to the ground. The young man jerked as if he'd been hit, and while they didn't understand the word he muttered, his tone left little doubt to its meaning.

"Please, If you are real, then I am asking properly, let me go," the stranger begged as he tried to inch sideways. "I don't want to fight you, but I will. Really - I will. I have to get to the Plass. The voice said. I have to get to the Plass and find Jack. He will help me get her back." His chin waggled as he chewed his already split lip.

"Okay - okay," Hank said gently, "get who back? Did you get carjacked? Let's get you inside, out of the rain, and we'll try to help. The police will help us, but I'm not too sure my wife will appreciate me getting electrocuted by lightning, and it's warm inside. Let us help you."

"No - no!" His left eye widened in fear. "I have to get out of here. No police, they'll ..." He smacked the window behind him in frustration. "Please, I have to get to the Plass! I have to find K'Nar; they took her away." He nearly sobbed.

Hank eased closer, finally managing to slip the coat around his shaking body, "You can't find anyone if you can't stand up. Inside: it's dry, warm and safe. We'll help you find her." He promised quietly.

For a long moment, the stranger stared at them, and then without out warning, began a slow slide down the window. The two young soldiers reached to catch him before he hit the ground. They expected him to struggle as they lifted him back to his feet, but to their surprise, he just cussed at them in some weird language.

"Damn, Hank, he's skin-and-bones," Dave fumed as he and Vince slipped their arms around the young man's waist supporting most of his weight. "His pants are falling off."

"Let's just get him inside," Hank answered.

Hank ushered everyone back as Vince and Dave carried him inside to the warmth of the café. The customers moved two bench seats together to form a bed. It was the best they could do to find a place lay him down.

"No-no-no," he cried as he pulled back in panic at the sight of so many people. Vince and Dave increased their grip, preventing his escape back out into the rain.

"It's alright, son," Hank crooned as the two soldiers laid him down on the benches, "I promised remember, no one will hurt you."

He was hardly on the seat, before he came back up wild-eyed. "Sick," was all he could say before he began to retch. He immediately emptied his stomach, forcing Vince to jump back to avoid getting splattered.

"I called 911. There's bad wreck on the interstate; it's tied the medics up, so we're on our own for a while. Who is he?" Nan came out of the kitchen carrying an afghan she kept in her office. She tossed Hank a towel and passed him the bucket, then tucked the afghan around the soaking wet stranger.

"Don't know, haven't gotten that far yet," Hank answered as he shoved the bucket close and wiped the mess off the young man's face. "Easy son," Hank soothed as he tried to stop the terrified young man from getting up.

"Plass, I have to get to the Plass," the stranger gasped as he closed his eyes and leaned against the seat. His voice now trembled with pain and exhaustion.

"Son, I don't know where the Plass is. Let me fix your arm, so it's safe, and then we need to see to your foot. You're bleeding pretty bad," Hank said as he gently eased the arm across his chest.

The young man's eyes shot open as he screamed in pain. "Please, leave me alone. Please. Don't hit me any more. I will follow the rules. Please - just give her back."

"What's your name, son?" Hank asked as he wrapped a second coat over the afghan in an effort to provide much needed warmth to the shivering young man. "Who did this to you?"

The question went unanswered as the stranger bolted upright in response to a baby's cry that suddenly filled the little café. He struggled to get away, but couldn't make his legs work. "Please, I'll give you whatever you want. I'll go back. Please, don't hurt the baby." He begged, "tell me - what - you - want! Don't hurt her, please! Leave it alone, one is enough."

His ragged breathing scared Hank. The young stranger suddenly lurched forward, grabbed a handful of Hank's shirt and began twisting it in his fist. His voice was thick with rage as he pulled Hank closer. "I'll stop you, I will make you stop! If you hurt her, I will rip you apart!" As the baby's cries grew louder, the young man twisted Hank's shirt tighter. "Don't you dare touch it!"

Hank could detect a British accent coming through his slurred words. He gently pulled the hand away and cupped the confused young man's face. "What in the name of all that's holy did they do to you?" Hank asked.

"Don't ... touch me!"

Hank sat back on his heels, unsure of what to say or do.

"Please ... tell me what do you want? Don't hurt it. It's just a baby," the man begged desperately.

The look of pain and distress on his face broke Hank's heart. Whatever this young man had suffered was beyond nightmarish. He'd gone from giggling, thinking that he was hallucinating, to rage at being cornered to quivering in confused terror. Hank had no idea what to say or do to calm him down, so he talked. First, he needed to convince him that no one was murdering a baby. He pulled the young mom beside him.

"Son, try hard to focus on what I'm saying. Someone hurt you, but its over and you are here. We've got you. You are safe now. No one can get past us to hurt you again. No one is hurting that baby either." Hank murmured softly.

In the light of the café the extent of his injuries were clear. Hank knew enough field medicine to know; the adrenaline pumping through him was the only reason that he was still upright. When it faded, and it would fade now that he was out of danger, he would collapse hard. Hank motioned the baby's young mother into his line of vision, hoping to convince him that both he and the baby, were safe.

"This is Annie, her baby is Emily, and she is fine, she's just scared of the noise." Hank looked up at the two young soldiers. "There are flashlights behind the counter, go check the alley for the girl." The young men nodded while two other men slipped coats on.

"We'll go check the street. If there is a girl out there, she can't have gone far in this storm."

Hank nodded as Annie handed the baby off and knelt beside the Doctor. "Hey, it's okay; no one is going to hurt my baby, but someone has really hurt you. Can you tell us what happened? What's your name?"

Silence filled the room as they waited for him to answer. His expression softened as he focused on the girl. A weak smile tugged at his mouth. "K'Nar? Where did you go? I thought ... I lost you. We have to get out of here before Moron finds us," he said as he glanced nervously at the door.

"Honey, my name isn't ..." Annie had no idea how to respond. She took a breath and spoke softly, " Look, my name is Annie. What's yours?"

"The baby, K'Nar. Did they hurt the baby?"

"No, I promise; she is fine." She laid a hand on his knee to comfort him. "Her name is Emily, and -"

"K'Nar, we have to run," he interrupted, "Help me up, and we'll get out of here before they come back." He reached to cup her face when his expression changed to deep confusion. He looked like a shock of electricity shot through him as he yanked his hand back. "You're not ..."

"I'm so sorry that you thought ... Try to understand, my name is Annie, and this big lunk is Hank. Nan is calling 911. There are too many in here to introduce everyone. What's your name? How did you get here?"

"I ... 'S not right," he shook his head. "I've gone barmy, haven't I? Why? They snatched K'Nar away, and then I was... She's here; I know she's here," he babbled at her. "She ... help me. Please, help me get her back."

"The guys are looking for her. If she's out there: they will find her. Honey, what is your name?" Annie repeated, ignoring everyone's collective murmurs.

"Name, I have a name," he finally replied sounding increasingly confused. "K'Nar calls me, Lord. That's wrong. I'm not him; I'm ... Theta - my name is Theta. Mates call me Thete." His voice grew progressively weaker.

"Thete, did you come from the expressway? Can you tell us who you are running from?" Annie asked as she grabbed a diaper to wrap it around his bleeding foot.

"No - what?" Thete shook his head. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he sobbed. "This is all wrong, I have to go to the Plass. The voice: go to the Plass. Home; I have to go home. I promised - to take her home."

His confused expression suddenly changed. His cheeks flushed red making the bruises on his face stand out. Hank noticed the pupil of his left eye suddenly dilate and pulled Annie back. Thirty years in the military taught him Thete no longer saw them. A second later, with a sudden burst of energy, Thete slammed his fist into the back of the bench seat startling everyone. Through chattering teeth, he threatened them with an almost feral growl. "Give - her back - or - I swear; I will rip you apart!" The last of his energy expended, he collapsed against the seat, closed his eyes, and slid into the depths of oblivion.

o0o

"My God, Hank. What the hell did someone do to them?!" Nan swung fully into maternal mode and began issuing orders. "He's freezing. We need to get him warm fast. Pick him up, and I'll hold him. There is enough padding on me to help warm him. There's a heater in the office. Somebody go get it, and there's a bedspread on the desk. It's still in the wrapper, grab that too."

Two minutes later, Hank helped Nan add her new spread to the afghan already wrapped around the stranger, while someone adjusted the heater toward him. Victims of Saturday night brawls and fistfights were nothing new to the retired soldier, or even to Nan, but this shocked them to their very core. In the café's light, they could see the damage someone had done. Not only was his face a mess and his arm broken, but he was missing chunks of hair. His attackers had slammed his head against something, hard, leaving goose-egg sized bumps on his forehead and the back of his head. Dried blood crusted around the opening of his ear. Hank doubted he could even hear on that side. It was no wonder he made no sense, and for someone to have finished the job by ... Hank couldn't let himself finish the thought.

He helped Nan get the shivering young man in her lap, gave her a reassuring smile, and looked at the group standing around him. They all shared the same look of stunned disbelief. Hank knew most of them well enough to know that they were all thinking of their children. Deep fury took hold in his heart, fuelled not only by the young man in Nan's arms, but the thought of one his boys stuck in a foreign country, alone, beaten and bloody.

They all looked up as cold air and rain blew in with the door opening. Vince and Dave walked in, dripping wet. "There's no one out there," Vince shook the rain off his coat. "Did you find out anything from him?"

"No, but he must have been carjacked or something just as bad," Hank answered as he tucked the blanket around the stranger. "Someone was with him," Hank said firmly. "He just threatened to rip our heads off if we didn't give her back. "

"Maybe we should get some coffee in him to warm him up faster," one of the older customers offered, "if we warm him up, he might make more sense."

"You can't do that, he just threw up. I have an extra blanket in my diaper bag. We can cover his head. You lose most of your heat through your head," Annie grabbed her diaper bag and handed the blanket to Hank.

"Who the hell could have done this?" Another customer repeated the question in stunned disbelief

"Some damn drug runner. I told Bill Harris to put more patrols on 29. It feeds right off the interstate, bringing that trash right through town. Damn, why would they take his shoes." a third customer raged quietly The rush of wind coming through the door brought everyone's attention to the returning searchers shaking rain from their coats.

"We went all the way to Peachtree," one of them spoke, "There's no kid out there. The rain is coming down in buckets. If she's out there, she's found shelter somewhere 'cuz the street's empty."

Oblivious to the conversation around the stranger continued to mumble against Nan's chest.

"K'Nar, please, blimey; I hurt, please."

Despite Nan's arms and the blankets, he still shivered against her. "It'll be okay sweetheart, help's coming," she crooned as Hank wrapped the baby blanket around his head, practically cocooning him.

"Somebody make sure the cops are coming," she ordered.

Without warning the young stranger tried one more time to rise as he muttered something no one understood. "Hank?" she looked up at her friend suddenly scared for the young stranger in her arms. In the stranger's next breath, she felt the tension leave his body, and then he went limp against her.

"Oh my God, Hank," Nan cried, "I think he quit breathing.


	14. Chapter 14 Out of the Vortex part 2

"He's breathing Nan, he's just passed out." Annie reassured her.

"Are you sure ? Do we need to do CPR ?" Nan replied.

Nan prided herself on her ability to function in a crisis. That didn't stop the momentary feeling of panic when Thete collapsed against her. She still wasn't sure that he wasn't dying in her lap. No one, not even her husband had ever died in her arms. She did not intend for that record to change tonight. She gave herself sixty seconds of panic and then her common sense, and anger took over.

"No, hon," Hank answered gently, "He's in shock; we need to get him lower," he said as he lifted the young stranger enough for Nan to scoot down so just his head lay on her lap. "I was worried, he'd do this. Only God knows how long he's been running on nothing but pure adrenaline. Even if, his mind don't know it, he's body's recognized that he's safe. Without the adrenaline rush, shock kicked in. Somebody grab a chair; we can stick his feet on it." Hank order as he held Thete's feet. "Lord, this is one skinny white boy," Hank muttered as Vince placed the chair. He ignored the chuckle that came from the young soldier.

"You're freaking unbelievable!" Nan snapped at Hank.

As for as she was concerned, there was no reason for someone to call a half-starved boy, skinny. Not even if, the someone was her best friend. It just wasn't funny. "What kind of monsters do we have in this county ?" she ranted at her friends. "When did we get this bad?" She glanced up at the grim faces of the people surrounding her; not actually expecting an answer.

"Nan, getting upset won't help," Hank advised her with a gentle smile.

But, she couldn't help the rage bubbling up in her heart. It was impossible for the woman to comprehend the brutality used against the young stranger in her arms. Her_ Nan's Café_ T-shirt was already stained brownish red from his bloody hair. Despite their reassurances, she put her hand on his chest and held her breath until she felt the gentle rise of his chest. Nan reflexively drew a protective arm around Thete, and when he whimpered in pain, she gently kissed his head.

" It'll be okay, son. Help's coming. You just hang on for us; do you hear me? You're safe here. " Nan crooned to him as she rubbed his good arm and chest, trying to get him to respond. The hope that the coats, blankets and body heat would warm him faded as he continued to tremble.

Nan looked up her partner. "He's not just skinny, he's half starved! No wonder he threw up when he smelled food." She brushed his hair away from his eyes. His pale skin stood in stark contrast to the bruising on his face. He looked as fragile as that piece of porcelain sitting on her piano at home. A loud thunder-clap brought a jerk and a whimper from him and a round of relieved thank gods from the customers, glad that he wasn't completely unconscious. Nan nodded at Annie as she knelt beside her, fumbled with his wrist until she found his pulse. She gave Nan a reassuring smile.

"That first aid course was worth it, huh." Nan quipped with a nervous chuckle at Annie's embarrassed expression.

Nan kissed his forehead. "Thete, Honey come on son, can you hear us? You need to come back, now."

Annie grabbed a second diaper and a clean towel off the counter to replace the now blood-soaked bandage on his foot. This time, she made sure that the new dressing was wrapped tight around his foot.

"How does it look, Annie ? I don't think he can afford to lose much blood," Nan asked.

"It's bad," Annie answered as she pinned the diaper tightly around his foot. "Even when they stitch it, he won't be walking on it."

Nan kissed the top of his head again. "Come on Brit, open your eyes." For a second, she felt him shudder and stir.

He groaned and opened his eyes but saw nothing. " Oh God, I thought I lost you," he said to no one as he reached out to grab a hand. " We have to run, K'Nar. Now - we have to run now. No, I'm not leaving without you. K'Nar, no. " He muttered before closing his eyes again, oblivious to Nan's tears or that several others, men included, swallowed hard.

"Who would do this to someone ?" Annie swallowed a sob as she took her baby back from another customer. " Did anybody call 911 again ?"

"Yeah, I did," Vince answered. "They are on their way. "

"You think somebody really carjacked him?" an older woman asked.

"He looks like someone tortured him, " Vince said with disbelief as he glanced over at his partner.

Dave nodded in agreement. "We saw those same kind of marks on victims of the Taliban." He pointed to the bruises and cuts on Thete's wrists and ankles.

"But here? Dave, this isn't Afghanistan and the Taliban aren't here. How ... how did he even get here?" Nan looked at the young soldier in disbelief.

"Nan, you know there are bad guys everywhere," Dave replied. "My guess: whoever this K'Nar is, they tried to get away from their captors and were separated somehow. I'm bettin' his captors probably drove around for a while looking for him. No way would they'd just dump him; they'd put a bullet in his head first."

"The question is ; where did he escape from?" Vince ran a hand through his short hair as he answered.

"Ambulance is finally here. " A customer stepped back to hold the door open against the wind.

Annie shifted her baby to her other hip and said icily. "You guys better take good care of him. He's been through hell."

"We aim to please, Miss Priss. Can we come out of the rain now?" One of the medics quipped back. "Hey Nan, who's your new boyfriend?"

"Shut up Trey, and you watch your tone with Annie. Get your butt over here and do something ! He's hurt bad," Nan snapped. She wanted to yell at someone and the medic would do for a start.

The tall medic and his partner covered the small distance in a few strides. It only took a quick glance for the two ex-army medics to recognise the pale, shivering man in Nan's lap was in shock. Trey put his wit aside. "I hate to steal your boyfriend, but we need to get him on the stretcher," Trey said without bantering. The two medics scooped him up, laid him flat on the stretcher, and shoved a blanket under his feet.

Almost as soon as he was flat, conscious started floating back. Thete blinked and then turned his head away from the oxygen mask the medic was trying to place on his face.

" You know anything about him ? Did he tell you anything before he passed out ?" Trey asked as he started cutting off his patient's sweater.

"All we got is the name: Thete, and he keeps saying someone snatched his girlfriend," Hank answered.

"He hallucinated for a couple of seconds, " Nan answered, " and then he passed back out. "

The medics ignored Thete's feeble plea to stop as Trey finished cutting up the middle of his sweater while Toby quickly placed electrodes on his thin chest.

"Leave it alone, son." Hank took Thete's hand, stopping him from removing the oxygen mask while Trey finished cutting off the rest of the sweater.

The sight of massive bruising and burn marks across their patient's chest and arm brought expletives from both medics. Bruises in the shape of fingers covered his arms making it difficult to find a vein to start an IV, but within seconds, Toby had checked his blood pressure and started an IV. "He passed out because his pressure is barely 80/40 with a rate close to 300 , and he is ... really dehydrated. " Toby cast a concerned look at his partner.

No one understood him as he protested getting his blood pressure taken. But as oxygen and fluids began to reverse the shock, his voice grew stronger making Hank think that he understood stop between the groans. Sitting their patient up to listen to his lungs drew a louder groan and a collective gasp from the people around him.

"Trey: Jesus," Toby said stunned by the mass of bruises, burns and whip marks. They both forced their outrage behind their professionalism. Trey continued to examine him, silently cursing at the bruising that wrapped from his back around to his chest wall. With the jumper gone, they could all see his fading choke marks. Trey ran his fingers gently down both sides of his rib cage, finding what suspiciously felt like two broken ribs. Fresh, deep red shoe marks to his sides were just starting to bruise.

"Told ya, he was tortured," Dave said to no one in particular.

"It wasn't enough that they strung him up to beat him, the bastards repeatedly kicked him before they raped him!" The comment was out Trey's mouth before he could think. "Toby, bag his hands, and we need to save his sweater."

"Why?" Nan asked stunned.

Trey looked up at her. "Because I don't want evidence lost. His nails are torn, and his knuckles are bloody; he didn't go down without a fight."

"K'Nar, did we do it ? Can we go home now ?" The sound of his somewhat clear, but very British accent, refocused their attention. Despite gently lowering their patient down, the renewed pressure and resulting caused him to cry out in pain. "Bloody hell, K'Nar don't do that!" he protested.

"You're okay, son. Welcome back, you scared Nan to death." Hank tried to reassure him.

He blinked in confusion. " Sorry?" he replied weakly. "K'Nar, we need to go now." His voice was barely a whisper.

"Thank God !" Nan slipped into his line of sight. " I'm so sorry, Honey; she isn't here. " She pulled Hank into Thete's line of sight. " We're here, remember Hank? We were all worried about you; you just kind of went out on us. "

"Can you tell us your name ?" Trey asked.

"K'Nar - she's here; I heard her," he mumbled.

Trey looked up at Hank.

The man shook his head. "The guys checked the alley and the street all the way to Peachtree."

"I'm sorry, Thete. There was no one else was in the alley, or out on the street. My name is Trey Hawkins. I'm a paramedic. This is my partner, Toby Niles. It is our job to get you stable and get you to the hospital, okay? "

"No, I heard her. I need to go to the Plass. Please, I can get a taxi. I don't want to bother... " He tried to rise only to have the medic gently push him back on the stretcher.

"Thete, do you know where you are?"

"Cardiff. I'm in Cardiff. Didn't know there were so many bloody Americans in Cardiff. Was it a bus tour gone wrong ?" he mumbled in confusion.

Trey scowled at the muttering people standing around them. Nan and Hank both sent looks that told them to be quiet.

"I've got it wrong ?" he asked tentatively.

"Do you know what day this is ?" Trey asked.

"It's rainy, a bit chilly. April, no, that's a month. Tuesday, it's Tuesday isn't it? Time is so wibbly wobbly," he answered.

"Son, you're in Elizabeth, Kentucky in the States, and it's Thursday, October 27 - not April."

"How's that possible ? That's not possible, I don't live in America." His breath hitched. "Home, I'm supposed to go home . This - this is not home. "

Someone's nervous chuckle garnered a dirty look from everyone else.

"Thete, who did this to you?" Trey asked gently.

" This is wrong. This is Cardiff, you're lying. I need to leave. What did you do with K'Nar ?" He desperately started to grab wires on his chest.

"Don't, son." Hank moved to stop him.

"No, I have to leave. Let me up." He demanded as he jerked away. "They'll come back. Let. Me. Go! This isn't possible. I don't live here!" His voice rose in confused anger. "What are you doing?" He shoved the medic's hand away as he tried to sit up.

"Okay, Trey answered him gently, motioning to everyone to back off. "If you can get off my stretcher and make it to the door all by yourself; I won't stop you. Your friend isn't here, and you need help, but I can't force you to stay."

"Trey !" Nan and Hank both spoke at the same time. The medic shot them a look that said 'wait'.

Thete struggled, but finally, exhausted, he dropped his head back and locked eyes with the medic. " She's not here is she ? Please, give her back. Please, I'll follow the rules. Just don't hurt her. "

Trey swallowed his rage at whoever had done this. " I honestly don't know where your friend is, Thete, but you're hurt, and you ' re sick. Your lungs sound horrible. Here, you are safe, and we will take care of you. No one is going to do anything to hurt you again, but you can't be jumping around. Your shoulder is a mess. You've broken your wrist and you have blood in places you shouldn't have blood. Someone beat the crap out you. Now, I need you to stay calm, and try to answer our questions, okay? "

"I hurt; I really do," he whimpered.

Toby re-attached the monitor then re-checked Thete's blood pressure. " 94/60 , Trey. "

"I know; the fluids are helping bring your pressure up, and you're feeling the pain more. I'm going to splint your wrist. As soon as I can, I'll give you something to help the pain."

Neither medic missed Thete's sharp intake of breath or his moans as Trey applied the splint to the deformed joint. When Thete closed his eyes, Trey thought he might have passed out again.

"Thete, come on; open your eyes and talk to us," Trey spoke firmly.

"No, hurts." He breathed heavily through his nose as he gave in to the overwhelming pain,

"Yeah, I know; we're waiting on permission to give you something," Trey answered, trying to keep Thete talking. "Open your eyes and talk to me. Thete is a nickname. What's your real name?"

"Name, I have a name." Obviously growing more confused,Thete opened his good eye and tried to answer. " K'Nar knows my name, ask her."

"She's not here, remember? What name does she know ? Who aren't you ?"

Thete swallowed, " I'm not ... My name..." He struggled. " I remember ; it's Jonathan Theta Smith. Mates call me Thete. Lord, K'Nar calls me Lord; I can't remember why." A lopsided smile flickered for just a second.

"Good job, kiddo." Nan rubbed his shoulder.

"Tell us about K'Nar. Is she your girlfriend?"

"What...God, no." He huffed as he tried to talk. "She's just a kid. That's just..." his voice was filled with disgust at the thought. This was the only answer he'd given that made sense. The moment of clarity surprised them.

"Is she your little sister?" Trey asked again.

"Little - sister ...? I promised to take her home."

"Ok, what does she look like?"

Thete stared at him. "She has a long, black braid, and big, adorable, green eyes." He drifted again. "She's ... they ... She's gone; they'v killed her haven't they?." Tears trickled down his cheeks.

"Thete, you don't know that. We're going to look for her, I promise. The cops will be here in a minute. Can you tell me about your heart?" he asked. "Your heart is different."

For a long moment, Thete focused on the Hank's face and without shifting his gaze, he answered Trey. The medic was surprised at how quickly Thete seemed to trust Hank. " Got two, born that way," he whispered, sounding as if he were sharing a deep secret with Hank. "Both work fine. Please, don't let them dissect me. " Giggling for no reason, he continued. " Sorry, can't laugh," he fussed, obviously lost in a memory. "I won't. No laughing, I'll remember. Follow the rules, they'll give her back. What do you want? I forgot; what do you want?"

"What are you allergic to?" Trey asked gently.

"Aspirin, I'm allergic to aspirin. I'll take two, no maybe four. Bollocks, just give me the bloody bottle. That'll do nicely."

" Not today, kiddo," Trey answered as he strapped the Doctor's left arm across his chest. " Now, can you tell us what happen ed? Who did this to you ?"

Before Thete could answer the café doors opened. Trey watched his patient blanch and clinch Hank's tighter at the sight of two officers walking through the door. His whole body jerked as if he were physically being hit.

"Move real slow, he's been..." Trey looked at the women and sighed before he spoke,"he's been beaten and raped," he said quietly.

The sound of Thete's voice brought Trey's attention back to him. He was obviously lost in a memory as he stared at the officers and began to rattle off rules. "Don't laugh, don't be rude. Break the rules, little man .. . You didn't learn very well did you? I've got special plans for the girl; she's next." His panic-filled eyes never left the faces of the two officers.

"Please, don't. Please, it's ... don't hurt her."

The people standing around him swallowed and cursed whoever had done this.

"Thete - Thete look at me, now!" Nan's voice was sharp enough that Thete shifted his attention back to her. "Honey, you are in our diner. Do you understand me?"

"Wha... What?"

"You are in our café. I'm Nan, remember. You are safe here. These two policemen are our friends, and they're here to help you. Do you understand, Honey? They're not going to hurt you, they're the good guys." Nan brushed his hair back out of his eyes. "They just need to know who hurt you and K'Nar. They need you to try to focus so that we can find her."

"They'll take me back," he spoke slowly so that she would understand.

"No, Baby - they won't," she answered firmly.

He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, Hank was kneeling beside him. "If you won't let me get to Jack, let me die because they will kill her," he gasped to the older black man, "I'd rather be dead if I can't save her."

"Thete, you are not going to die," Hank answered gently. "I swear, by all that's Holy if I knew where he was, I would get him. But, this isn't Cardiff. Let these men help you. We will stay right here while they talk to you, alright? Try to focus and talk to them." Hank tried not to grimace at the death grip Thete had on his hand as he fought to keep tight control over the rage that he felt.

One of the officers ' knelt beside the stretcher, careful not to touch the young man. "Son, my name is Brad Hastings. I work for the Elizabeth police department. Can you help me?"

Thete nodded slightly but kept a death grip on Hank's hand.

"Good, Lets start with how you got here," Brad asked gently.

Thete squeezed his eyes shut for just a second. "I don't know; I swear, I don't. I was trying to get K'Nar. I had her and then ... something blew up. I heard her scream, and then I was in the rain."

"Can you give us a description of the people who hurt you and your little sister?"

Thete's answer made little sense to the officer. "Every day they came, she laughed. They can't have it. It's too dangerous. Can't remember ... Bloody hell, I hurt." He breathed heavily through his nose. "Light." He looked at the officer, "there was a light."

"Like headlights ; were you in front of car lights ? Were you dumped you in the alley or did you escape?"

"There was a flash. The voice ... this is wrong. My head hurts . Please, I have to go home. " Thete closed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows. " Headlights? I - must be. "

"Thete, what did they want?" The officer asked gently.

"The tardis, she wanted the tardis."

"A woman did this ?" The cop was stunned. He looked up at his partner and then back to Thete. " Son, what's a tardis?"

"It's - - I ... I don't know. I should know," he answered, sounding increasingly frustrated. His wiggled his chin and clenched his jaw. " I can't remember; it will hurt people. "

"Is it a weapon - a bomb?" The officer tried to keep his voice calm.

"Please, don't let them take me back. I'll give it to them, and then people will die. People can't die because of me. " Tears ran down his face. No one said anything.

"Thete, where's home? Can you tell us where you're from ?"

"Home is... It's - my head hurts."

Toby called in the latest set of vital signs to the doctor on call at the hospital and gave Trey the orders. " Doctor Wilson says give him 4 milligrams of morphine and get him in now. He's got an ortho already there for the car wreck and a cardiologist on the way. "

"Sorry, that's it guys. "

"Trey, I need to know if there is a bomb out there."

"I'm sorry, Brad. He's so confused now, asking anything else is useless. We need to medicate him."

"Homeland Security is going to love this," the officer muttered.

Trey nodded as he pulled out the lock box and prepared a syringe of morphine. He was just as stunned as they were. Apparently, running around Hardin County, home to Fort Knox, was some sort of freaking terrorist cell that kidnapped kids and tortured people.

Trey looked at the officers and then down at his patient. He had to come first. " Thete, I'm going to give you something to make you feel better. It might make you feel a little loopy."

Thete barely nodded.

"We're going to get you to the hospital. Doctor Wilson will get you fixed up." Trey tried to reassured him.

Within seconds, Thete's face started to relax, and his breathing eased. He opened his eyes to look at Nan; giggling at her, "Blimey - I'm pissed. Look colours." He pointed at nothing, closed his eyes, and gave in to the darkness.

"If somebody is riding with us, get your coat." Trey ordered as they pulled up the rails and raised the stretcher. "This train is leaving the station."

"I'm not leaving him - Hank ?" Nan stood up to get her coat.

"I'll call Sarah and then close up. I'll ..." He looked around at the group before finishing, "we'll - meet you there."

"Score one for the soldier," Annie said.

"What the hell is a tardis?" someone asked.


	15. Chapter 15 Back to the Hub

"TBrae!" K'Nar screamed with joy when she saw her friend in the company of one of H'Tarle's officers, and took off to meet her. She stopped short when she saw the empty expression her friend's face. She had the same lifeless eyes and the blank expression that her Lord had when she'd found him. "Oh TBrae, I'm so sorry." K'Nar sobbed as she pulled the numb girl into her arms.

H'Tarle looked at his officer who smiled back at him. "I found her hiding in a cupboard. Smart little thing, she'd locked the door from the inside. Took me ten minutes to prove that we were the good guys."

"See if she can pick out her attacker, and then get them all to the medics for transport to the Healing Centre. A female prisoner from the cells said they took her daughter. Send a team to scour the man - -" H'Tarle didn't get the chance to finish the order. A piercing scream cut across the chatter filling the hall. He looked up to see one of his men carrying a child no more than five and watched the relieved woman rush to retrieve her daughter. The success of this raid was a source of immense pride for the tired Inspector. The evil beings in this mansion would go away forever, and no one died. He felt terrible for the four humans, though. He knew they considered their mission a failure.

o0o

H'Tarle stood with Jack outside the K'Nar's healing centre room, watching Amy and River try to comfort the child. For two hours, the two human women cajoled, rocked, and even sang lullabies in a vain attempt to calm her down, but weeks of her own torture combined with seeing her Lord and T'Brae brutalised, finally came crashing in on the child. Grief swallowed K'Nar when she watched TBrae collapse, screaming in terror at the sight of her abuser. Each time, the two women stepped away from her, she would descend into hysterics. Finally, the healers had no choice, but to sedate her. He understood why the two women wanted to sit with her, but it was time to go.

"I'm sorry ladies," he said softly, "but I must get back to the station, and finish processing the last of the prisoners."

"We're coming as soon as she is asleep," River answered softly.

"Poor little thing, I've never had so many victims requiring sedation." H'Tarle shook his head and looked at Jack. "They tried to take the little girl for an exam and her mother attacked the healer. She thought they were stealing her again. Half a dozen of the servants had to be sedated when they found out they were free. They just fell to their knees crying. The stories, my men are getting from them, will put that - what did Amy call her?"

"Bitch," Jack replied. "It's not a nice term."

"So I gathered," H'Tarle replied with a chuckle as Amy and River joined them.

"What?" River asked.

"Nothing, linguistics education," Jack quipped.

"Well, let's go, then." River whispered.

With her private attendant sitting next to her, stroking her head, the foursome cast one last look at the now sleeping teen and walked away. "How long before her parents get here?" River asked as they walked out the door.

"Three days, maybe four, and I promise you, Curly Top - she will have protection around the clock. The healers assigned a private caretaker to both her and TBrae."

"What about T'Brae; what will happen to her?" Amy asked sadly.

"We'll find her parents and hopefully ... hopefully - she'll recover, but ... Anyway, we have to go."

By Jack's chronometer, it was one in the morning when the four walked out of the healing centre to the waiting hover. Too exhausted to do more than grunt their responses, the short trip to the Justice Centre was made in silence. The day's events were difficult to process. The four humans leaned back against their seats trying to wrap their brains around their dismal failure. Processing K'Nar's story gave them as much trouble. If it were true, they had no idea what the consequences would be for the Doctor. Murdering NaV0 in as many fascinating ways as possible played against the backdrop of his suffering. No one cared about the Doctor's rules against revenge.

"Damn," H'Tarle said quietly as the hover flew over the front of the Justice Centre. "How did they get here?"

"Look at that," Rory smirked as he glanced out the craft's window at the crowd of news crews gathered in front of the building. "No matter the world, there's always a news crews, isn't there."

They were all too tired do to more than chuckle at the comment. Thirty seconds later, the craft settled gently behind the centre in the security lot. Rory stood and helped his exhausted wife disembark. The cold, night air snapped the humans out of their exhausted state. Halfway to the building, Rory stopped to stare at the TARDIS parked in a secluded corner of the lot and made a quick decision.

"Rory?" River looked at her father who stood with his arm around Amy's waist.

"You go on with H'Tarle and Jack. I'm taking Amy back to the TARDIS."

"Rory, I'm fine," Amy protested. "I want to see the look on that thing's face when they lock her in a cell."

"Yeah, well, first we need to fix your hand. You wouldn't let the healers even look at it. "

"He's right, Red." Jack interjected. "Get your hand fixed. We'll fill you in."

Too tired to give more than a token protest, Amy let Rory take her back to the ship.

"She's a piece of work," Jack muttered lovingly as he and River watched the young couple walk away.

"Yes - she is," River said proudly. "Shall we?" She flashed a saucy smile at Jack as she slipped her arm through his.

Jack grinned. "Right, this way Madam."

"I'm locking the door in two," H'Tarle called over his shoulder as he headed for the back entrance to his station.

"Needril," H'Tarle yelled as the three walked in the warmth of the building.

"Yes sir?"

"Go out front, and make some sort of statement to that vtach. Get rid of them, they're clogging up the street," he ordered as he unbuckled his weapons belt and handed it off to one of his men. "Captain, Curly Top, let's go watch us a show."

"The raid is news, sir. Calling them names won't make us look good," Needril said with a grin.

"Yeah, well, I'm tired, and that's why I have you - Supervisor," The man said with a snide tone and a tired smile. H'Tarle turned and headed for prisoner intake with Jack and River close behind.

Prisoner intake consisted of three separate areas. A half-dozen computer desks for recording prisoner information and generating new I.D.'s. filled one half of the room. The other half housed the scanning equipment for final processing into the jail. The area was quiet now, the bulk of the prisoners already locked away in secure cells. All but the last five. They were special.

"I told Needril to save this little group for you," H'Tarle said solemnly.

Jack and River both broke into broad grins at the sight of the remaining, tired and somewhat bedraggled prisoners. Especially NaV0. The woman sat dejected, her once elegant ball gown now rumpled, her makeup smeared and locks of her hair had fallen from her once styled hair. She sat on a metal bench with Moron, Malorick and his two companions, chained to the wall.

"It's too perfect," River growled as Heegla unchained Moron. The four didn't quite catch what the man said to the officer, but before anyone could move, Heegla punched him in the face.

"Heegla, what are you doing?" H'Tarle yelled at the young officer.

"My hand had a spasm, sir. Sorry about that. Won't happen again," he called back to his boss.

H'Tarle wanted the humans to see the prisoners begin their journey into the legal system. He wanted them to see and understand that no matter how hard it was; cooler heads had to prevail. Watching Heegla belt a prisoner wasn't what he had planned - exactly. He glanced over to see both grinning. So much for payback, he thought.

"I don't condone beating up prisoners," he said defensively as he grinned at them.

"Didn't think you did," Jack said facetiously.

The next three went without incident. One by one, the crowd on the bench went down until NaV0 was alone and still defiant. River stood up and edged her way closer to the woman she hated wanting nothing more than to add a second shiner to the rather nice one left by Amy's punch. Her mind churned with thoughts of exactly what she wanted to do to this piece of human trash. An officer held a container ordering her to drop her jewellery. And, then - she was ordered to strip.

"I'm not stripping out here," NaV0 shouted at Needril. "Where's my justice representative? These are a violation of my rights under the Galactic Justice treaty. "

"You have no rights, and you will strip, or we will do it for you," Needril responded coldly.

Listening to her, made River's skin crawl, but watching Heegla and a fellow officer wrestle the woman to the scanner, pry open her eyes and hold her in position as first the 3-D retinal and then neural scan were completed, broadened her smile. No one cared that her dignity had been violated . Watching the officer assign NaV0 a prison number and inject a tracker between her shoulder blades helped a little bit more. Madam NaV0 ceased to exist, she was now prisoner CCIV.

Still, for River, it wasn' enough. Even if, the courts on this planet executed her, it wouldn't be enough. It would never be enough. River had no interest in some tragic life history, or how the justice system would work to punish criminals; she wanted revenge. A smile played across her face as she made plans on how to destroy the piece of filth the guards were now leading away. It actually wouldn't be that hard. The cellular bomb she had given Dorian would do. It was undetectable, and no one would be able to link her to the event.

Knowing Jack and H'Tarle were watching made her smile broaden further into a sly grin. Neither man moved or said a word, but River could smell their anger - and their worry. She decided to add to the show Heegla had unwittingly provided . As the guard reached the door leading to the cells with his prisoner, she walked over.

" Give me one second," she asked softly.

The guard glanced at his boss who just nodded. River smiled at the men watching her and then leaned close to the woman's ear whispering. " Don't worry , I'm not going to hit you, Sweetie. You should know - there will come a time in the middle of the night, when no one is watching, you will hear a noise, and you will look up, and there I will be. The very last thing you will ever see or hear. Remember the name, River Song."

River stepped back, enjoying the woman's stunned look. " I'm going back to the TARDIS. " River smiled as she walked out of the Justice Centre.

Jack watched the woman sashay out the door wondering for the hundredth time just what crime River committed to wind up incarcerated in Stormcage. From the look on NaVo's face, he was extremely sure it had nothing to do with taxes. Revenge played in all their heads, but Jack had a feeling River actually would do it. He needed to get the tired group off this planet before anything else could go wrong.

H'Tarle handed Jack a drink. " What do you think she said ?"

Jack took a breath and then swallowed the burning liquid before he spoke, " Don't know, but I don't think she invited her out for a drink. "

"What are you going to do now ?"

"You mean besides get them off your planet before they decide to storm the cells ?"

"Question crossed my mind. " H'Tarle swallowed his liquor. " I don't think Rory would try anything, but those women ?"

"They are a pair, aren't they ?" Jack swallowed his in one gulp and poured another. " You always drink after a raid like that ?"

"Only when I need to keep from killing the prisoners, so, what's next ?"

How the bloody hell should I know. Jack thought. "Go home and start over," he answered before he took another swallow. " Even with his head screwed on backwards, he can use a manipulator well enough to get home. That's where we start. What about the kid?"

"I've sent word to the Shadow Proclamation. Her parents are on the way with their guard. The Shadow Proclamation is sending a Judoon fleet to escort them safely home."

"You know, this is a mess, right?" Jack stared straight ahead.

"Yes, Captain for all of us. But rest assured, these - things are never going to see daylight on any planet, ever."

"I forgot to congratulate you, H'Tarle." Jack changed the subject.

"For what?" The Avian humanoid arched a feathered eyebrow in curiosity.

"You are one hell of a con artist. You would have done the Time Agency proud," Jack replied lightly.

H'Tarle snickered at the compliment. "Like I said, it takes time to make someone believe you're a crooked political hack, and I'm a patient man."

Jack flashed an appreciative look at the man and chuckled. "Never asked; what did you tell NaV0?"

H'Tarle snorted. "Promise not to tell?"

"I promise."

"The name of our mole. I just loved her expression, didn't you?"

"Yes, it was - as they say, priceless." Jack laughed at the memory of the woman suddenly going pale. "Who was it?"

"NaV0's son. He truly hates his mother. He actually came to us, seems that she had his wife murdered. The girl was trying to help him stay out of trouble. She was pregnant when NaV0 had her neck snapped."

"I'll be damned," was all Jack could say before slapping the man on the back. "You have that communication code for me. It will reach me no matter where I am. Let us know the date of the trial."

"I will, Captain." H'Tarle took the smaller man's hand in a Regulun handshake and then pulled him into a hug. "You four renew my faith in humans."

When Jack stepped back into the TARDIS , he found the three friends quietly drinking tea in the galley, each lost in their own thoughts. From their expressions Jack, he knew visions of the hell hole were running through their heads. It added to the guilt and rage already filling the room. Even the TARDIS had gone quiet.

"We need to get off this planet, River." Jack stood next to her, giving her a tight smile. "We have to go, and she won't let me fly her. I can fix her, but she's never let me fly her."

River smiled back, got up and headed for the control room. A moment later, the time ship drifted in the vortex and unknown to River, the ship had plans of her own. She'd failed to force her Thief to rest; she didn't intend to make the mistake twice. She would give the weary group a chance to catch their breath before she would take them back.

River couldn't get the image of the man she loved strapped across a table out of her head. Nowhere in the whole front to back, back to front, thing had this happened. His entire timeline was changing and it terrified her. It was selfish, and she knew it, but she still couldn't help wonder what it would do to hers. The sound of footsteps on the metal stairs snapped her from the scenario running through her head.

"Does anyone get the feeling we've been manipulated?" River asked the three as they joined her.

"By who?" Amy asked as she plopped down on the jump seat.

"I don't know, but this is wrong on so many levels. " River looked over at her mother. "From you badgering him to change a fixed point in time to forces manipulating the TARDIS to land in a place she didn't want to go, this is wrong. All our timelines are changing, and I don't know why. "

" What about this group that kidnapped your baby," Jack asked Rory.

When River looked over at him, the Rotor's green glow amplified the look of exhausted rage etched on his face.

Rory joined Amy on the jump seat. " All we know is that they are a religious order of some sort, and they hate the Doctor. We don't know why. "

"Is it possible, they would have gone after him?" Jack stood up and looked at the three who just shrugged.

"That doesn't make sense. They'd already targeted the baby of his best friends, why go after him afterwards?" River replied as she quietly input the coördinates for the Hub.

"Can he heal himself? I mean, he's not hurt badly enough to regenerate, but can he heal himself? The whole healing coma thing he told me about." Rory asked. "He explained it before Demons Run, just in case something happened to him. I'm a nurse, I always worry." He almost apologized.

"No," River walked around the console and patted his arm, "he can't. Unlike regeneration, a healing coma is a choice. It's like - going into a deep meditative state. Then he chooses to go a bit further and stays that way until he's healed his injuries. "

"So, if he can't remember that he can make the choice, " Rory asked quietly, " he what - suffers like the rest of us ?"

"Pretty much, the difference being, in the hands of human medical care, they are going to want to know why he has two hearts, and a respiratory bypass system that looks like what ?" Jack asked. " I don't have the answer for that, since we never did chest surgery on him, and I don't think it shows up on an MRI. "

"No, it's actually connected to his skin, which has microscopic channels, that absorb oxygen only when his lungs can't, and then it pumps oxygen to his brain," River answered. " How much of this is different since K'Nar played chameleon arch is anybody's guess. "

"What about his blood? There are lots of NaV0 ' s in the universe, who would love to have a vial of his blood. Does what she did, affect that ?" Amy interjected, remembering how they had burned his older self's body. " So - what do we do ?"

All River could do was shrug her shoulders in response.

"We go home," Jack answered as he took a deep breath.

"We can't, " River announced. " The TARDIS thinks we're over wrought. She won't let us land until we've eaten and rested. "

"You are kidding, old girl. " Jack fussed at the ship, only to receive an immediate unpleasant buzz in his head. " Guess not. You do still have universal phone service, don't you ? Can I at least make a call ?" Jack asked the TARDIS, walking around the console to the phone. He dialled his office number, relieved to hear Gwen answer.

"Jack, did you find him?" Gwen asked her voice filled with concern.

"No, and it's complicated. We think he's jumped back to Earth by vortex manipulator. I need you to build a cover story using his latest picture. A new birth date, school records name Jonathon Theta Smith, astrophysicist on loan to us yada, yada. Put out a BOLO. While on a research tour, our scientist disappeared and we suspect that terrorist have him. It's been over three weeks, and European searches were unproductive, and we are now searching worldwide. Make sure the British embassies know to report any reports of Brits matching his description to us. Make sure they know that we have reports that his injured, and may have amnesia. Include his unique medical needs secondary to his inherited birth anomalies and that he has a life-threatening allergy to aspirin. If and when he is found they need to contact Martha as his physician. Let UNIT in on all of this as well. This is one time we need all the help we can get."

"Jack, what happen ed? We haven't planted stuff like this in a long time. "

"It's a long story. " Jack's voice dripped with exhaustion. " We are on the way home. Just - have my bottle of vodka ready," he said softly grateful for his friend's concern. His voice trembled with emotion that he found hard to hide from Gwen.

"Welcome home sir, " Ianto greeted his boss with a tray holding a bottle of bourbon and four glasses as the weary foursome stepped out of the TARDIS seconds after materialising in the HUB. For Ianto and Gwen, three hours since had passed since they left, but two, long, frustrating days had passed for the travellers. " Couldn't find the vodka. "

" Thanks, Yan," he said as he glanced at the glasses and grabbed the bottle. "Gwen, how are we doing on his story ? " He ignored Ianto's concerned look as he headed for his office knowing that they would all follow him.

"Oi, don't get greedy with that bottle. " Rory grabbed a glass, and followed.

"I didn't think you would drink the really hard stuff?" Jack grinned, a bit surprised. He didn't see Rory or Amy with anything stronger than wine.

"Normally, I keep it to stag parties, but after today - Amy, River"

"Just hand me a glass. " Amy bumped her husband, " After the first one, I'll let you know. "

Now Jack was genuinely surprised, but then it had been a truly lousy couple of days, and his first impressions had been entirely wrong. He didn't think Amy was capable of throwing a punch let alone knocking NaV0 on her backside. He felt a bit like a proud uncle knowing your cute little niece could defend herself against the school bully. Being Scottish and ginger probably had a bit to do with it. In a way she reminded him of Donna. That woman didn't take any nonsense either.

Jack hated to admit, even to himself, but he'd been wrong - about all three.

River snagged the last glass from the tray. "I'll take the bourbon, " she said while reaching for the bottle. She swallowed the amber liquid and refilled the glass as she spoke, " I've programmed the TARDIS to hide behind the moon and run a thorough scan, starting fifty years in either direction. She'll keep scanning until she finds him. She'll be leaving about..." The sounds of the dematerializing ship filled the hallway, " now," she said as she finished her second shot.

The three found a seat in Jack's small office, more than ready to nurse the drink of their choice. Jack lifted his glass to Ianto who took the signal and dragged Gwen back to their desks. Jack was grateful that the young Welshman understood that they needed a few minutes to decompress and would come back when the foursome needed them.

Jack dropped heavily into his seat, pulled open a desk drawer and grabbed the water-glass he kept when he wanted to get a little drunk - like now. He filled the glass a third full, propped his long legs on the desk, toasted Owen and Tosh in silence and took a long taking a drink. His visitors watched in disbelief as Mcfanway flew down from the rafters.

"That's ... That's a pterodactyl," Rory finally spoke.

"Yeah, it's our pet," Jack answered proudly as he finished the bourbon and refilled his glass. "He fell through the rift. Well, more flew than fell. He likes chocolate." He chuckled softly.

Too stunned to say anything else, the three visitors stared out the window and watched the creäture make slow loops at the ceiling. Slowly, as their drinks kicked in, they each relaxed into the couch. The quiet gave Jack a chance to study the faces of the other three as they nursed their drinks in silence. The look in their eyes was enough to tell him that same images of the Doctor strapped to a table in his head that were stuck on replay in his head, was replaying the same way in theirs. Those images burned his very soul. There wasn't alcohol in the universe to obliterate them.

By the time, he started on his third, a slight buzz began to replace the rage. The knots in his shoulder began to relax. He didn't intend to get drunk, at least not yet. He tried to organise his thoughts, but it was hard. He was glad Rory refused to let Amy see the vids. Just hearing what happened was bad enough. Spunky or not, that was the last thing the young red-head needed to see - ever.

River worried him. Whatever she'd said to NaV0, it sent the woman white, and that was saying something. Since then, River hadn't said much, at least not to him. Despite the smile, her eyes were cold. From the worried looks Rory and Amy kept shooting her way, he knew they were worried about her too. As soon as they managed to cobble a new plan together, he'd find what remained of his bottle of hyper-vodka, take Ianto, and disappear down into his room. It had been awhile, and tonight he didn't care what Yan did, as long as Jack could feel something besides deep, burning rage.

Finally, fifteen minutes after he sat down, Jack found his voice. "Gwen!" he yelled a little harsher than intended.

Gwen picked up the dossier she and Ianto constructed and headed up the steps. "You don't need to bark, Jack," she fussed.

"Sorry, I ..." He realised he was maybe a tad drunk when he saw Gwen roll her eyes. "We need a place to put our guests up, somewhere close. I'll explain in a minute," he answered the questioning look on River and the Ponds faces. "First," he looked up at Gwen, "How's our new cover story coming?" Jack asked, glad that he was back in boss mode.

"I just talked to Martha." She handed him the dossier. "She's tied up at UNIT for the next couple of hours. She'll call you as soon as she can. Now, Jonathon Theta Smith was born October 28, 1985 to Verity and Lethbridge Smith in North Hampton, England. He had one brother, Tennyson. His parents died in a house fire when he was ten and a terrorist killed his brother three years ago. You said he might have amnesia so we threw that part in if he has some residual memory of Gallifrey or what happened before he regenerated."

Gwen smiled when her boss nodded appreciatively at their thoroughness.

"Anyway," she continued, "he graduated from Cambridge University in 2000 at fifteen. He is officially the youngest graduate in the history of the university. He received his doctorate in Quantum Mechanics in 2002 and a second Doctorate in Astrophysics in 2005, at the ripe old age of 20. They didn't want to give him the degree because of his age, but -" Gwen gave Jack a cheeky smile, "his Uncle Jack pulled strings. He is now on loan to Torchwood from UNIT as science advisor, a position held by his father and his grandfather. He is the youngest lead advisor working in our area of expertise."

She gave Jack a chance to pass the dossier around before she continued.

"We've notified every major law enforcement agency worldwide that he's gone missing. We planted backdated reports and upgraded it, dated yesterday. The report indicated our intelligence shows that terrorists may try to force him to work on some form of a WMD. "

"How, did you do this ?" Amy was awestruck at the records in her hands. " You've given him baby pictures, school pictures, and family pictures. You even have pictures with Rory and me with him when we were kids. How - did - you do this ?" She repeated as she fingered through the pictures, trying to imagine the Doctor as a bouncing baby boy.

"Actually, it's not that hard. We have pictures of all his faces, and we have a computer program that can do age regression. Torchwood can plant anything in the records, and it would be nearly impossible to prove it isn't real. Plant a few false memories in key people and the rest, as they say, is history." Ianto took the file back. "It's what I do." from anyone else, his answer would have sounded smug, but for Ianto - his ability was fact.

"This is - impressive, but was it really necessary to throw the terrorist angle in. What if it snags the wrong attention?" River worried. "What if he's in the past or in the future?"

"If he's in the past, we can swoop in and get him. No big deal, but even blind and deaf, " Jack answered, "the Doc can programme a vortex manipulator well enough to get back to Earth in our time. He might screw up the coördinates, but I'm betting he's got the time right to a T. Even Swiss cheesed, his brain wouldn't let him screw that up."

"What if they decide to arrest him or something?" Amy asked quietly.

"They won't. They will be under orders to protect him at all costs just as soon as we get clearance from whatever government where he's located. What about the plane ?"

"The plane is on red alert fully stocked with all necessary medical supplies. Martha can now practice through UNIT anywhere in the States and on the Continent. Before I can arrange anything else, I need to know what else to expect, Sir," Ianto answered.

Jack took a breath. " Remember what I told you guys about our year on the Valiant. "

Gwen and Ianto both frowned, telling that story occurred one night after the team learnt the Doctor regenerated ; they'd held their own wake for a friend.

It had been the hardest story Jack ever told. It was hell on board that ship, especially for Jack and the Doctor. No one discussed the Valiant again.

"Think Valiant compressed into over three weeks of hell ending with three guys who..." Jack's voice hitched at the memory. "Anyway, it'll be a while before we can leave the Doctor alone. In addition, a lovely young telepath thought she was helping by telepathically retcon'd ninety-nine percent of his life. Just to make things interesting she managed to switch off the parts of his brain that make him Time Lord, and tricked his body into being human. It's the damndest thing I've ever heard."

"So we'll need Doctor Harrison too ?" It always impressed Jack how Ianto could use such detached professionalism, even in the worst scenarios.

"Whose Doctor Harrison?" Rory asked, taking a swallow of the bourbon. The liquid burned his throat as it went down, reminding him why he never would become an alcoholic.

"Doctor Harrison is UNIT's xenopsychiatrist," Gwen answered. "She's the only trained psychiatrist we have that specializes in dealing with issues of PTSD in aliens."

"The Doctor doesn't need a psychiatrist." Amy protested. "We just need to get him home, and take care of him."

"Amy, you have no idea how bad this could be for him. " Rory fussed at his wife. The last thing they needed was her denial, and her dislike of psychiatrists.

"You must be kidding!" Amy exploded. "You think - I don't understand! Scum tortured my best friend and... It was all because of me. I think I understand! This - is - my fault; all of it, is my fault! If it weren't for me, he would never even gone to that damnable planet." Amy stopped, forcing herself to take a breath. It was all too much. "I know him, and I know he isn't mental. We'll take care of him, and he'll be fine. I can fix this." She swallowed a sob.

"Amy." Rory tried to sound like a supportive husband.

"Shut it, Rory!"

"Amy." Jack interrupted.

"Don't you dare!" Amy whirled around, her voice dripping with rage. "We should have gone in sooner. If we'd gone sooner, we would have him, and ... maybe they wouldn't have..."

Rory rose up from the couch, and step in front of his wife.

"Amy, this is not your fault. It's Kovarian's fault. It's NaV0's fault. There are a lot of guilty people responsible for this mess, and we aren't on the list," Rory said softly. "You can't fix this. It has nothing to do with him being mental. It has to do with being..." Rory drew a breath. "Amy, he has more emotional baggage than half the bloody universe put together, and he doesn't deal with any of it. He has lifetimes of stuff that he lies about. I know how much you love him, but sometimes, you put a lot of pressure on him. Just think about House. When he thought he had found friends, he was all excited, and what was the first thing you asked; did he want forgiveness? What did he say?"

"He said: don't we all, " she answered softly, her outburst dissipating.

"Do you honestly think that being tortured, gang-raped by slime and having his head screwed with, isn't going to tip him over the edge? God knows, the kind of damage that child has done. She made his body different. How the bloody hell is that even possible? This - I don't know how he could deal with this. Amy, I love you, but this isn't the time for your dislike of psychiatrists or our collective guilt.

"Bar none, this -is - the- greatest cosmic joke ever. I wish we could have brought K'Nar with us." River snuffled quietly, looking at her parents with tears in her eyes. "Amy, Rory is right. Even a Time Lord has his limits. This is a mess. I love that man with all my soul, and I will do whatever it takes to bring him back to me." She went to hug her mother.

Jack nursed his bourbon as he listened, wishing that he knew more of what had gone on in the last two years. When they got him back, he was going to demand an update. The House thing sounded fascinating. He swallowed another gulp. He was getting drunk. That's not what he intended, but the memories were flooding back. He wished that he could re-bury the memory of the months of torture and of being murdered only to re-awake to do it all again. And, now... Now, he had to add these new images to add to the nightmares he already had. It was so hard to stay focused on the here and now.

Jack's voice sounded faraway when he finally joined in. " I spent months trying to drink myself into oblivion every night after... Anyway, " he drew a deep breath, rubbed his jaw and then blew it out harshly, " this won't be easy, but we are his friends, and we will take care of him, Amy." He took a deep breath before he spoke again, " If that means, he spends time with a professional learning he isn't a freak, then that's what we'll do - whether he likes it or not. First ... first we get him healthy, and then we find a way to undo the mess that kid made. This time no one gets to just go off and pretend he is okay. This time, we do what's right for him, and not what feels right what for us. Whether he likes it or not."

Amy stared at Jack. She didn't bother to wipe her tears away or resist Rory as he pulled her back to the couch. She didn't resist when Rory wrapped his arm around her trembling shoulders and pulled her close. Quiet sobs soon replaced her yelling. Jack found a blanket in the file cabinet and draped it around the exhausted young woman, leaned down and placed a fatherly kiss on her hair. "We will make this right, Red," he whispered gently before he walked back to his desk.

Quiet filled the small office as they spent the next hour lost in their own thoughts ignoring most of Ianto's attempts to get the exhausted foursome to eat at least a little pizza. McFanway's occasional calls interrupted the silence making the sound of TARDIS engines unexpectedly filled the Hub all the louder, sending everyone running. Her doors were open when they reached her. River reached the computer keyboard to print the report. Her grin lit up her face. "I am happy to say Jack was right. The Doctor managed to get home to the minute our time, Just not home. He's in some place called Elizabeth, Kentucky."

Amy stared at the map on the monitor screen, "Where the bloody blazes is that?"

"UH, would you believe fifty miles southeast of ... Louisville?" River answered somewhat gobsmacked.

"Isn't that's where they run the Kentucky Darby?" Rory asked.

"Derby." Jack corrected.

"What?" Rory could have cared less.

"Americans have the Kentucky Derby. It's a big deal over there."

"Yeah, well," River answered frowning, "it's also fifteen miles south of Fort Knox, in the middle of farm country, U.S.A."

"Damn, Doc." Jack stared at the map. "How did you manage to wind up in redneck country?" Images of Brynblaidd popped in his head. "Exactly where ?" The concern in Jack's voice upped a notch

River typed the map coördinates into the computer and watched the screen. Worry had replaced her grin when she turned back "The exact location is a..." River muttered.

"Where?" Jack's worry notched higher.

"He's in hospital." River's voice cracked for a second and then she moved to input the coördinates. "We'll have him back before you can blink," she said with a note of false bravado.

"That's good, yeah," Amy asked.

"No; not necessarily" Jack interrupted, trying to keep his the disappointment out of his voice. "Scan the local police computers; see what they say. " _Why, just once, _Jack thought_, can't you be in a barn or even a house where we could swoop in, get your skinny arse, retcon a family and come home. No, you have to get yourself surrounded by people fifteen miles from the freakin' American army!_

River frowned, but did as Jack asked, "Someone found John Doe brutalised and beaten. There isn't much here. Now let's get him."

"We can't. That's what I needed to explain about finding you, a place to stay. A couple of years ago, the government signed a treaty that set rules for Torchwood or any of its representatives going on foreign soil. Part of that treaty included a requirement that - unless specifically invited, we give them a twenty-four notice that we are coming and only after we have received notice one of our agents is in trouble."

"He's not an agent," River stated firmly.

"We just made him one," Jack retorted. "River, look," he tried to sound reasonable, "I can't ... we can't - risk the Americans finding out that they have an alien called the Doctor lying defenseless in one of their hospitals. He's sitting next to an army base. Imagine what they would do if they knew who he really is. He lucked out and landed in a place where they might - just might buy him as a screwed up human. Because they think he is foreign national who is a crime victim, they will have cops around him. That makes things difficult for us. We can't just teleport him out and then retcon an entire American town. Somebody will notice, and Torchwood would be hauled in to explain." Frustration filled his voice.

"I will not leave him there!" River exploded.

"We're not," Jack's temper began to fray. "but, thanks to outbreaks of alien attacks linked to terrorism, the days when Torchwood could go wherever we wanted are over. I have protocols and treaties that I have to follow to protect Torchwood."

"Well, I am not part of Torchwood." River snarled as she turned back to the console. "I'm getting him!"

"No, you're not! I have to do this the right way; there is too much at stake." He couldn't stop yelling.

"Sod-off, Harkness, I am getting him back ... now!" River turned back to the helmic orienteers. When she put her hand on the hand brake, she heard her parents yell. The last thing they expected was the Webley pointed at her.

"You wouldn't dare," she snarled.

"Try me!" Jack snarled back threateningly. Part of Jack's brain told him to shut it, but the alcohol soaked part kept his mouth going. "We will do this my way, or I will put you in another cell. There is too much to lose for you to decide to go off on some impulsive escapade. He's safe - for now. We monitor the government chatter, and we follow the protocols. Now, we can do this my way or ..."


	16. Chapter 16 The Kindness of Strangers

Toby slammed the ambulance doors shut against the cold, wet wind. He dreaded hitting the lights to race code three across the small town in the pouring rain. The potential for an accident was just too high. Going slow, however, increased the likelihood his passenger would wake up in the back of his vehicle and panic. Toby preferred a patient come unglued in the safe confines of an exam room, not in the back of an ambulance where he could cause an accident. As the medic slid into the driver's seat and fastened his seat belt, he had a bad feeling that the guy in the back was going to come very unglued. When Trey thumped the divider signalling that it was okay to pull out, he hit the siren's switch and pulled away from the café.

Tonight fortune shined. The rain stopped as he rolled through the first intersection. The sudden absence of rolling thunder made the siren seem louder as the ambulance made its way through Elizabeth's rain-soaked streets. They were all thankful that, other than maintaining a death grip on Nan's hand, Thete seemed to doze through the short trip. Seven minutes after leaving the café, Toby turned the sirens off and pulled the ambulance into the emergency room bay. Nan wasn't quite ready for the cold air when the doors opened revealing a portly, middle-aged man.

"Hi, I'm Jack Wilson," he said with a broad smile as he reached to help her step down. She wondered if fake joviality covered professional concern, but before she could speak, a staff member ushered her aside as the medical staff swarmed the stretcher. The loss of contact and sudden jostling roused Thete from his drugged stupor and as he reached for her hand the strangers rolled him away.

"No, don't," his slurred voice was barely audible through th staff's voices.

"It's alright, Thete," Nan called to him reassuringly, "I'm right here. We're at the hospital now." She managed to stay one step behind until a nurse in green scrubs stepped in front of her effectively preventing her from following after the stretcher.

"Are you family, ma'am?" The woman asked as Nan tried to step around her.

"I'm what he has - - yes," she answered with an anxious eye on the disappearing stretcher. "I'm Nan Carson, and I'm not leaving him."

"We need to assess him, Mrs Carson. We'll call you back as soon as we have him settled."

"No, you don't understand," Nan repeated with a little more force as she tried once more to step around the nurse. "I am not leaving him." She heard Thete's voice grow more frantic.

"Harry," the nurse looked at the security guard, "take her to admitting." With that, the cocky nurse was gone leaving Nan to stare in shock at her disappearing back.

"This is a mistake; you don't understand!" she fumed to the security guard as he took her to admitting. "He's terrified of people, especially people in uniforms. I promised him that I wouldn't leave him."

"Sorry, ma'am." The guard just gave her a practiced smile of support and steered her inside as a police car pulled in behind the ambulance.

"They can't see him," Nan turned to the guard, "They will scare him to death. Please - listen to me." She resisted the man's tug.

Nan barely made it through his name with the admission clerk when the sound of a terrified scream cut through the small emergency room. Nan pushed past the guard, barreling past startled staff and two officers she didn't recognize as she raced for Thete. She was barely aware of Hank calling to her as she shoved the ER doors open. Hank reached her side as she slid to a stop outside a crowded glass enclosed cubicle. They pushed past a male nurse with blood gushing from his nose and ordered the shocked staff out of their way, They found the charge nurse standing in the doorway with Thete backing away, clutching an IV pole ready to swing at anything coming near him.

"No - No, no. GET OFF of ME, NAN ! Hei Mase Senda, Krva Styg, Invelan Flayara. " No one had to understand the strange language to know the stranger woke up cursing, panicked, and in full defence mode.

She heard the young charge nurse's harsh voice. "Put that down ," the young woman ordered. "or the police will restrain you!'

Thirty seconds were all Nan needed to know the girl was incredibly stupid. "Like hell they will, get away from him - now!" Nan grabbed the nurse's arm and pulled her back.

"I told you, he was scared," Nan snarled as she planted herself firmly in front of Thete. When she turned to actually see him against the wall, she gulped. "Oh my God, Hank, what the hell did they do to him?" She reached behind her to pull her friend next to her.

"Son of a bitch," Hank muttered in fury.

The two shocked friends stared at the wild-eyed young man before them. Swelling reduced his right eye to little more than a slit. The mass of bruises they'd seen earlier paled in comparison to the rest of his body. His abusers hadn't spared a single inch. Nothing prepared them for his deeply bruised groin and swollen manhood or the smeared, dried blood on both his legs. Monitor wires dangling from his bruised chest added to his crazed appearance.

Nan couldn't understand how he'd managed to get up, let alone actually stand. His leg muscles quivered in obvious pain from his bleeding foot. The sight of the dressing turning red made her sick. In his effort to get away from the monsters in his head, his IV had pulled out adding to the droplets of blood on the floor. He brandished the IV pole as a weapon as he muttered threats against anyone daring to come close.

Nan forced a deep breath before crooning her words. " Thete, Honey, it's okay, you are okay. Settle down now." Her voice trembled from the strain of maintaining control. "Sweetheart, Hank and I are right here. We just had to step away; you're safe here."

All she saw on his face were pain and complete confusion. "Dal Huffern!" he snarled the strange words. She had a really good idea that he'd just told them what they could do with themselves.

"Thete, can you hear me?" Hank crooned softly as he stepped past the staff to stand next to Nan. "Listen to my voice." He eased closer as he watched recognition flicker across the young man's face. "Remember my voice, son. You need to speak English. Can you do that for us?"

"Thete, do you remember being in the café? I'm Nan, remember, and Hank. " No one spoke as Nan and Hank kept themselves planted firmly between Thete and the staff in a bid to calm him down.

His expression changed, softened as he listened, trying to figure out how he knew those voices . "Americans - - you're the Americans," he said when he remembered. "Where the bloody hell, am I?!" he growled as forcibly as his swollen tongue allowed.

"You're in the hospital; in the ER. Remember: we told you that we were taking you to a hospital. Do you know what an ER is?" Nan asked gently as she and Hank took one step at a time to get closer.

She watched him try to process his surroundings; trying to figure out what the faces behind her and Hank wanted from him.

"An A&E - - that's it, isn't it? It's an A&E. He was going to ... My trousers, he - - cut them - - he was going to cut me, I felt the knife. He ..." Thete panted as if he'd run a marathon.

"No, son," Hank spoke gently as he tried to reach through Thete's fear and confusion, "it wasn't a knife; it was scissors. He had to cut your jeans off because you're hurt. Can you remember being hurt ? You've been in an accident, and they needed to see your - injuries and do x-rays."

Hank stepped up closer, and that was a mistake. Tears edged Nan's eyes as she watched feral rage replace that fleeting moment of recognition in Thete's eyes. In his desperation to escape the faces, he forced his shaking legs to move only to find his escape stopped by the wall, fuelling his panic and the adrenaline flooding his body, keeping him upright.

" You're with Moron; not again." His words came in increasingly strained breaths. "You won't hit me again. Stay away from me !" He used the IV pole to shove a metal tray at them and then pulled the pole close for defense.

As Hank eased closer crooning softly, Nan could only imagine what pictures were playing out in Thete's poor, confused brain. She shot a glare at the young charge nurse inching her way back into the room. "Step one foot near him, I swear, I will have your job," Nan hissed quietly.

Oblivious to the turmoil around him, Thete squeezed his eyes tight to make the sounds of laughter go away. "Just shut up!" he screamed to the air. Vile and disgusting names cut through maniacal laughter drowning out the girl's voice echoing in his head. _Run Lord, I'm coming. We have to go, bad people are coming._ K'Nar screamed for him.

"Door, I have to find a door," he muttered desperately. "I'm coming, K'Nar. I'll get you out," he answered her voice as he slid his arm out to find something to grab, but his fingers found nothing to grab to pull him past the blurred faces.

The faces came closer, dancing and laughing around him.

_Go, my Lord_, his mind heard her scream louder, leave_ me._

"I'm not leaving you to them." He slapped at the hands reaching for him as he started to slide down the wall. "I won't fall. I won't, not again."

Faces; Scumbag's face was just inches away now, muttering disgusting, filthy things in his ear, licking him. His shivers turned to uncontrollable shaking as he felt the man's tongue slide up his neck. Bile rose up in Thete's throat and with every ounce of strength left in his body; he spit a mouthful of bloody saliva at his closest enemy.

"Get away from me. I swear; I will rip your head off!" _Moron's laughing face snarled and stepped closer yelling about the rules._ "I'll show you bloody rules," he screamed at his enemy as he collapsed into Hank's arms.

In seconds Nan had his shaking body in her arms, rocking him as if he were a frightened child. He sank against her chest. "Please," he begged her, "let me go. I want to go home, please. I'm asking properly. I need to find her, please - - help me. Please don't let them do it again. It hurt, it really hurt."

Nan made no effort to stop the tears sliding down her face as she held him as tight as she dared. Her eyes locked on the shocked young face of the charge nurse who suddenly looked very unsure of herself. "I told you to let me stay with him. I told your damn security guard what would happen!" She looked down at the young man in her arms, kissed his forehead and kept crooning to him, feeling his breathing start to ease.

Moments later, Nan and Hank heard the familiar voice of his wife and her best friend, as Sarah Munson joined them, shocked see Nan rocking a naked, terrified young man while she crooned hush baby . Nan smiled at the older nurse who draped a blanket over him before crouching beside him with a syringe. Nan nodded and whispered " Thete, you are extremely tired, and it ' s hard to think when so you ' re tired. " Hank softly crooned a lullaby hoping to distract him.

"Tired, I'm tired. Don't let them ... It hurt. "

Nan kissed his head and snuggled him close. "I know, baby. I want you to reach out to Hank, and hold that great, big, meaty hand of his. You squeeze it until his knuckles crunch, okay. You can ' t hurt him. That's right, " she whispered. "The nurse is going to give you something to help you rest.

"No, please, I don't want to see, please," he begged softly.

Nan glanced up at Hank with tears. They both flashed a look at the nurse who just waited. Nan kissed the top of his head. "I promise you, Cowboy, you won't see anything, it's just going to help you sleep. You are so tired. You have to trust someone, trust me. Listen to Hank's voice. His songs always make me sleepy."

Nan felt the fight go out of him and nodded at the nurse as she kept talking. "There's going to be a little stick. It might sting, but don't move, okay? I've got you."

Thete buried his face in her chest as the nurse injected the contents of the syringe in his arm. "See it wasn't so bad." Nan smiled at Sarah as she rocked the whimpering young man in her arms.

The older nurse handed her a syringe and mouthed for her to get him to swallow the liquid. "Okay, baby, drink this for me. It's medicine to make things stop hurting." Several tense seconds of silence passed before he complied, and sucked the contents of the syringe down. "Good job, Cowboy."

He groaned as he cuddled into her hug as Hank's soft singing filled the quiet. Nan rocked him as the medicine slowly took effect, and his whimpering gave way to sleep.

"What was that?" Nan asked as they lifted him from her lap.

"Liquid Versed. We use it as a pre-op, but given with Ativan it helps sedate someone who is hallucinating. It will keep him out while we examine him. I'm really sorry this happened, Mrs Carson .

"What's your name?" Nan asked tersely.

"Beth," the woman answered as she helped Nan stand up.

"Well Beth, what happened to that doctor - the one that met at us at the ambulance?"

"There was a code on one of the floors. He had to attend."

"That's just - perfect," Nan sneered. She flashed an angry look at the charge nurse and then looked at Beth. "You keep that nurse away from him - and me." Nan's voice shook with anger.

"The charge nurse was just following the rules." The nurse smiled apologetically.

"Yeah, well - she can scr..." she growled as she started to step to the side of the stretcher.

"Nan, " Hank interrupted as he pulled her back, "you need to wait with Sarah."

"I am not leaving him, Hank" She resisted the tug, "not again. "

"Partner," he said as he struggled to be the voice of reason, "The police have to stay in here while they take pictures of his injuries and take evidence from his ... That's not something a man would want a woman to see. It's not something you should see. After all this, we need to give him a little dignity. I promise, I won't leave him. Sarah take her and get some coffee. Everyone is in the waiting room. Stay with them, and I will come get you when they're done."

Nan looked back at Thete sleeping on the stretcher. Two new nurses had the monitor wires re-attached and were now restarting his IV. She turned back to face her gentle friend who she knew was as angry as she was. "Promise me, Hank. Promise me, you won ' t leave him." Nan felt as if she were leaving her child alone.

"I promise, partner."

Before Nan left, she turned to the apologetic young charge nurse standing in the exam's room doorway. " You stay away from him, and if you ever try to push me away again, " she threatened, " we will have more than words. "

"Come on Nan, you need some coffee," a soft, cultured, southern voice cut through Nan's anger. Grateful for her best friend's support, Nan clung to Sarah as they headed for the waiting room. As she walked past the nurses' station, she could hear the staff discuss multiple ways to make his torturers suffer, none of them pleasant or legal.

Neither Nan nor the group from the café could just sit as they waited for some word from Hank; they took turns pacing the small waiting area. The last time Nan paced this much occurred two years ago as she waited for word on her son. The Military Chaplain had told her that a roadside bomb hit his patrol in Afghanistan. She pushed the thought that her concerns for a stranger might be a bit much, far away. The minutes without a word from Hank clicked by slowly, increasing the level of her concern. When Hank finally joined them, he looked as worried as she and the others felt. Their rush to find out Thete's status nearly bowled the man over.

Hank wrapped an arm around Nan's shoulders and pulled her close. "They're taking him to the O.R.," he said solemnly.

"Why?" Nan's voice trembled when she asked the question. She couldn't stop thinking of her dead son and husband.

"He's messed up inside - from the r...," the word wouldn't come, "the assault. He's bleeding from his bottom, and there's blood in his urine. Doctor Wilson wants him completely under to do a whole body CAT scan and something called a cystogram. He is afraid that if they just use light sedation, he'll wake up in the middle of it all, and go nuts again. After they've done all that, they can start putting him back together again. They're really worried about his lungs; evidently he has birth defects that can complicate - things."

"Honey, can I at least meet this young man you two rescued, and then Nan can give him a kiss before he goes up?" Sarah asked as she slid an arm around her husband's waist.

"You can't." Hank answered softly. "They've already put him completely under, put a tube in his nose to breathe for him and taken him up. If they don't have a bed in ICU when they're done, they'll bring him back here. Either way, Doctor Wilson is writing orders that we can stay. Until then, partner, all we can do is wait."

Three nerve-wracking hours later, Jack Wilson came to find the young stranger's pseudo family, and found a room full of people waiting to see what had happened to the young man who fell out of nowhere.

"Wow," Wilson chuckled, "I wasn't expecting an army. Since you are the closest thing he has to a family, let's step over here," he said as led them to a conference room. When the door closed, he turned to the group. "Right, first, thanks for caring about him. It's why, I like this town, and I'm sorry about what happened earlier," he apologised. Now, first - that young man is very sick and it's made worse by two extremely rare birth defects: one, he has two fully functional hearts and two, he's missing a lobe of his lung. Both make treating him complicated, so I had a cardiologist and lung specialist come in to see him." The shocked group drew a collective breath as Wilson continued.

"You already know about his torture. Who ever did this - did a number on him. I believe, it lasted for weeks. The easy fixes were his shoulder, and wrist. But, he's dehydrated, malnourished and has stomach ulcers from the stress. The beatings left him with bruised kidneys, three cracked ribs and a bruised lung. The - attack today caused something we call a straddle injury which needs treatment from the Urologist. He's writing orders now. We also have a dentist coming in, to fix his cracked teeth. He's also got a grade three concussion made worse because we think they forced an experimental drug on him. There is a drug we can't identify in his system."

"When the nurse went to medicate him, he said: please no, I don't want to see." Nan said softly."Can we see him?"

"Yes, he's on his way back down until we can get a nurse to come in to take care of him in ICU."

"Is he gonna make it?" Hank asked softly.

"The next twenty-four to forty-eight hours are critical. We get him through that, and he'll stand a good chance, but the road to recovery will be a long one."

"We can still stay with him, right?" Hank asked.

"Yes, I've already written the orders. Hopefully when he comes to, he can tell us, who did this to him."

Thirty minutes later, Beth ushered them to what the nurse called an observation room. Nan almost sobbed with relief when she saw him. She leaned over the stretcher rail and brushed a stray lock of damp hair away from his bruised eyes. The tube in his nose connected to an oxygenated mist. At least, he was breathing on his own. A shoulder brace secured his left shoulder in place, and a blue cast encased his wrist. Cold packs lay across his swollen eye, shoulder and cast. Thete stirred slightly but stayed deeply asleep.

Beth smiled at Nan's worried expression. "He's just starting to lighten up. We'll give him fifteen more minutes and then yank his tube. He won't feel it or remember it, but he will gag when we do it."

"How long before he wakes up all the way?" Nan asked quietly as she ran her fingers through his hair. Underneath the ice packs and the monitors, he looked awful. Fragile and pitiful. The things that the monsters did to him infuriated her. It infuriated everyone.

"It could be hours; he's utterly exhausted. I'll get you a chair." The nurse patted her shoulder.

"Just keep your boss out of this room and away from me!" Nan snapped. Beth smiled tightly as she left. She looked up and gave Hank, Sarah and Annie an uneasy smile. "He looks awful, doesn't he?"

"Nan," Hank hugged her, "you have to remember that he's not one of our kids?"

"Are you saying that we should leave him?" she snapped.

"Good God, no. I'm saying, we need to keep a clear head, and not get overly attached. We can't yell at people trying to do their job. Sit down, and get your breath. Sarah and I will get some coffee." He kissed his partner's head.

Nan struggled to understand her visceral response the evening's events. Somewhere around seven, he'd stopped being a stranger, and became instead, more of a lost nephew - more like ... Nan closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. Hank was right; she needed to get a grip, but his suffering made it impossible to turn away. Especially after he'd reached out to hold her hand, and muttered those two words simple words: help me. She intended to do just that: come hell, high water or stupid, over educated charge nurses.

Nan refused to leave, but Hank, Sarah and Annie alternated sitting with him while they waited for him to wake up. The nurse was right, when they took his tube out, they all gagged right along with Thete. It was still another hour before he finally started showing signs of re-joining the world.

o0o

An incessant beeping noise and an annoying buzz interrupted the darkness where Thete floated, refusing to go away. Then he heard her. She was calling to him; drawing him back from the edge of nothingness. She told him to open his eyes, but he couldn't. At least not all the way. Slowly, reality encroached in his space. He wasn't sure he liked that. Reality bloody hurt... a lot. She called again; a soft, musical voice from far away that grew closer.

"Thete can you hear me? Come on Brit, open your eyes for us." Annie encouraged as he shifted on the stretcher.

_Whose Thete? Is that who I am? He tried to remember where he was and what he was doing. At least it's warm here, and dry. That's important, why is being warm important_?

"Open your eyes, Thete. It's time to wake up now." Nan stroked her fingers through his hair.

That voice was older, but he knew that voice. He tried to process the voice as he struggled to remember_. Rain, it was raining... I was looking for... looking for? K'Nar. I was in the rain looking for K'Nar. _Thete groaned and opened his one good eye to see two women staring at him. K'Nar smiled at him flooding him with relief._ Hey you, he spoke through their link. I thought, I lost you._ The face smiled at him, but said nothing, which added to his confusion. His vision cleared a bit, and he realised the face didn't belong to K'Nar. He groaned again and looked at the other woman who smiled back. He knew that face.

"Hey Cowboy, how are you feeling?" Nan crooned.

There was the voice. "Is she there?" He swallowed thickly, trying to relieve his dry throat. Between his hoarse voice and swollen tongue, his words were hard to understand

"Who, love?" Nan's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"K'Nar, I've gone do-lally, haven't I?"

"Honey, you haven't gone - whatever that is. Your vision is just blurry. That's Annie from the café, do you remember the café?

Thete's eyebrows knitted as he nodded slightly. "I thought - - maybe ..."

"I am sorry; they have looked, but there is no trace of her." Nan kissed his forehead. "We won't give up hope, though. I'll just get your doctor. Plus, Hank and Sarah are going to want to see you awake."

"Please, don't leave." Thete reached to grab her wrist only to discover his hand tied down. "Why?" He sounded so betrayed.

Both women immediately touched him. "Listen to me," Nan said firmly and gently. "They restrained your hand to keep you from pulling things out and for no other reason. The Doctor will take it off as soon as he sees you awake. Annie is staying here, and she will explain. I will be right back. Do you understand me? You are not in trouble, and you are safe."

Thete tried, but it hurt too much to nod. He watched her leave and then looked to Annie expecting an answer.

"You were yanking at ... things that would have hurt if you pulled it out."

"What things?"

"Things from your..." She paused. What did Brits call male parts? She'd always heard that they were so polite and proper. The words that her dad and boyfriend used just didn't seem - right. She leaned over the railing and kissed his forehead. "You have a tube in your winky, and it would hurt really bad if you yanked it out, so they tied your hand." The words tumbled out in a rush as she blushed.

"Wha - - what?" he wiggled his fingers to grasp the blanket. Annie giggled as she took his hand.

"What did you do?" he asked again in disbelief, sure that he hadn't heard her right.

"I didn't do anything." She laughed gently as she stroked his head. "The doctor did it while you were asleep. You didn't feel a thing. Doctor Wilson will explain, and Hank will be back."

"Hank, whose Hank?" he asked as he tried to lift his head to look around.

"Big black guy; pulled you out of the rain? The guy from the café? Any of this ring a bell?"

"I ... the Americans. There was a bunch of you in a diner - - in Cardiff."

"That's us." Annie gently ruffled his hair. The bruises on his scalp still made her angry. "But, we are not in Cardiff. Remember; we're in Kentucky. " She reminded him gently.

Thete just looked at her.

Annie wasn't sure what to say next. "I'm sorry that you thought I was K'Nar. You must care a lot for your little sister," she said haltingly.

Still tired and muddled, Thete looked away unwilling to let a stranger see the single tear roll down his cheek. "Vision's a bit off. Things are sort of blurry," he answered quietly.

They were both relieved when Nan walked back in with a man and a woman in green scrubs.

"Look who's finally decided to join us." The man smiled gently at him. "Thete, my name is Jack Wilson. I am the ER doctor, which, for the time being makes me, your doctor. How are you feeling?"

"You're not Jack. You can't be Jack," he answered, confused by the portly, balding man next to him.

Wilson chuckled softly. "I'm_ a_ Jack. Hank and Nan said you were looking for Jack in a place called Cardiff. Do you remember that?"

Thete looked blank and shook his head. "I thought ... no."

The Doctor took a moment to examine Thete and check the cast on his arm. Thete flinched away from the touch.

"On a scale of one to ten; ten being the worst you can remember, how bad are you hurting?"

"It's not bad: I'm just tired." Thete couldn't stop his hand from trembling as he reached for Nan's hand.

"Humour an old man; give it a number."

"I don't know; four maybe."

"Uh huh," Wilson's expression told Nan and Annie that he didn't believe Thete's assessment.

"Think you can stay awake and talk to me? We have some issues to discuss."

Thete looked away. "What about?" he asked, plainly distrustful of the stranger.

"Guy stuff," Wilson answered. "It's important; I can get Hank in here if you want, but I have to ask the ladies to step out."

"No!" He gripped Nan's hand tighter.

"Thete." Nan pulled her hand free, and kissed his forehead, "You're okay, it's safe here," she reassured him, "Doctor Wilson helped put you back together. We'll be right outside. I'm not leaving you."

One look at the racing heart tracings on the monitor was all Wilson needed to know that watching Nan leave scared Thete to death. His fist clenched and unclenched nervously as the doctor reached over and untied his good hand.

Wilson kept his visit as short as possible, but when he left Thete's room, he was barely able to control his own emotions. He'd left Chicago and brought his wife back to her home state to escape the carnage that showed up every night in his former E.R.. Five years later, he'd almost forgot the anger now eating at him. The boy's memory was shaky, but what he remembered flipped the doctor's stomach. Wilson hoped the boy would forget it all. He leaned heavily against the wall, sighed deeply and flashed a tight smile at the middle-aged Police Chief who joined him against the wall. For several seconds, both men stared at the fire extinguisher hanging on the opposite wall.

The Chief sucked in a deep breath and then exhaled slowly before he found words. "A few years ago, a couple came through here, pulled in for the night at the old Abe's motel. The husband left his wife taking a bath, and went to get something to eat at the motel dining room. When he came back an hour later, he found his wife dead. I guess that was ten-twelve years ago. Anyway, it took six months, but we finally found the guy that did it."

"So. That means - what - exactly?" Wilson flashed a puzzled look at the man.

"It means," the Chief answered as he pushed away from the wall, "no one is coming into my town, do what they did to that kid, and then dump him because they think we're too stupid to catch them."

"Did anything he say help, Bill?"

"Not really; I will put a BOLO out for a missing girl with long, black hair, green eyes, and a British accent who is wandering around alone, but that's not much to go on. I'd have to arrest you based on his description of the guy who apparently led his assault. Why is his memory so shaky; is it the concussion?"

"Some, and the meds, but mostly; it's the extreme trauma. He can't wrap his mind around what has happened. The level of brutality used against them overwhelmed his psychic defenses. I doubt by morning that he will even remember telling us his nick-name. At least, Trey got a name out of him."

"He did a good job preserving evidence too. We have plenty of DNA evidence from under his nails and the exam, and we have his clothes. I'll make sure everything goes to the state lab in the morning. He definitely sounds British so in the morning, I will notify the British and Canadian Consuls in Chicago. Hopefully, after we send them, his name and picture, they can track somebody down who knows him. Let's just hope, he didn't give up the tardis thing. It sounds like one hell of a weapon." The Chief pushed away from the wall and looked at Wilson. Anger etched his features. "Doc, I'm telling you now," he promised, "I don't care if it takes me six years, I'm going to find the bastards that did this to those kids, and if there is any justice in the world, they will pay."

"Go home and get some sleep, Bill."

"Yeah," the Chief waved over his shoulder as he started to walk away, "like that's going to happen."

o0o

As Wilson walked back to the waiting room, the smell of stale coffee wafted through the hallway. The hospital needed to replace the vending machine method of providing hot coffee in the middle of the night. He found the worried foursome pacing the E.R.'s hallway doing their best to stay out of everyone's way. They were all that remained from the earlier group from the café. He had an idea Hank had insisted the mostly older crowd go home. It was probably tougher to convince the two soldiers to leave. The four straightened at his approach. He had to admit their presence surprised him. Even after all his time in Elizabeth, his natural Chicago cynicism left him skeptical that genuine kindness existed, and yet - standing in front of him were four people willing to take care of a stranger.

"Hey, folks, how's the coffee?"

"To be honest, Doc," Hank answered, "it's lousy. How's he doing?" he asked anxiously. "Does he remember - you know, what they did to him?"

"Sort of. At the moment, he is lucid, but his memory is shaky at best, and he struggled with details," the doctor replied.

"What does that mean?" Sarah asked.

"It means that he remembers that his nickname is Thete, but couldn't tell us, his full name. He remembers someone called Moron beating him multiple times a day, and - he thinks Moron has taken or killed K'Nar. Beyond waking up in the rain, he doesn't remember what happened today or how he got in the alley. He doesn't remember where they held him prisoner. He vaguely remember that tardis thing, but everything else is gone, including things like where he's from or the name of his parents. The Chief believes the tardis thing is some sort of weapon."

"Doc," Hank scrubbed his tired face, "he told us his name in the café. How could he forget it so fast?"

"It's called Disassociative Amnesia. Evil tortured and brutalised Jonathon Theta Smith beyond his ability to endure. And, if his episode earlier is any sign of what happened, it was beyond brutal. So to protect his sanity, he's burying it deep. He's still trying to decide if it's worth breathing. I'm worried just how far he is going to shut down. Right now, he sounds about sixteen."

"Dear God in Heaven," Sarah muttered as she shook her head.

"When I told him that everyone from the café had stayed to check on him," Wilson continued, he couldn't understand why."

"What did you tell him?" Sarah asked.

"I told him," he said lightly, "that he was alone, in trouble and that you liked his British accent. A couple of minutes later, he started asking me when his Americans, meaning you, were coming back."

Nan snorted. "His Americans; that's cute."

Wilson flashed a tired smile. "I need some help," his tone turned even more serious.

"What do you need, Doc?" Hank asked, unable to hide his worry.

"That boy is too much of a mess to understand how sick he is. Legally, he is Non Compos Mentis.

"Isn't that a term used for the mentally ill?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, but it is also a legal term for anyone who can't understand what's happening. He has no real memory, and for at least several days, he'll need to stay heavily medicated. There is no way that I can let him make any decisions about his care. I talked to Judge Niles about appointing a guardian for him. I'd like to ask you. He trusts you. A stranger woul..." Wilson didn't get a chance to finish.

"Doc, you'd better call the Judge back," Hank interrupted." After everything that I've seen with that boy tonight and everything you just said, I'm not walking away from him. Sarah?"

Sarah slid an arm around her husband and nodded.

Nan, what about you?" Hank saw his friend look down at her hands as she twisted her wedding ring. The look on her face told Hank and Wilson what she would do.

A soft smile tugged at the edges of Nan's mouth. "Hank, what do you think our kids will say when they find out they have a British step brother."

"They're probably going to commit us." He chuckled as he squeezed his wife's hand and then nodded at Wilson. "What do we do next, Doc?"

"Go see him, I'll get the Judge to set an emergency bedside hearing. We can file the paperwork tomorrow, Thanks, and I mean it," Wilson answered with obvious relief.

When the three re-joined Thete, they found Annie stroking his hair. They were a bit ashamed that they hadn't even noticed she'd left them.

"You were busy, and he shouldn't be alone," she whispered when they walked back into the cubicle.

A huffed sigh turned their attention to Thete who stirred and then looked at them with one bleary eye. "Hey." He tried to smile.

"Hey, son."

"Don't leave," he mumbled, "please; don't like it here. Can I go home now?" Heavy medication made his already slurred speech harder to understand.

"Not right now, son. I need to ask you question; think you can focus for a second?"

Thete reached for Nan's hand and flashed a weary smile.

"Is it alright with you, if we act like your family, just 'til you can think straight, or until we find yours?" Hank asked quietly.

"Like a Mum and Dad?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah, in a way, I guess," Hank answered gently, "except - - it would be me, Sarah and Nan. Just to help you make decisions if you're a little confused, okay? You can think of Annie as a sister."

"Does that mean I have a curfew?" He tried to quip.

"Yeah," Hank chuckled, "and it starts now. Go back to sleep." Hank watched as Beth come in with a syringe.

Thete squeezed Nan's hand as the nurse injected the contents of a syringe into his IV. Within seconds, his ragged breathing eased, his face relaxed and he drifted to sleep leaving four new friends praying that it lasted.

Sarah looked at her husband and smiled. "So, before we make a schedule, I have a question."

"What?" her husband answered softly.

"What happened to: Nan, don't get overly attached." Sarah teased her husband.

Hank just shrugged.

o0o

**_A/N Dal Huffern (Welsh)- go to hell_**


	17. Chapter 17 The Beginning

Sally Cummings pushed the ICU doors open and walked into the normally quiet unit well after midnight. She really wished that she'd paid more attention to the on-call schedule. If she had, she would have let her husband stay in the barn to help a heifer deliver her first calf. He had to work in the morning, and she was looking at a day off. The call to come in was more than inconvenient, it promised a night of work when she was already tired.

"Hey, Cath," she greeted the monitor tech, "What's happening, has the ER called report yet."

"Yep, we've got a mid-twenties male, coming up. He was beaten, tortured, and your going to love this part - he was gang raped and dumped in an alley behind Nan's Café."

"What? You have got to be kidding?" Sally leaned across the desk to see the written notes. Cathy Harris was a great monitor tech and secretary, but only she could read her scribble

"Nope, ER says he's a mess. He has an acute pneumonia, bruised kidneys, early liver damage from malnutrition, fractured wrist, and a dislocated shoulders. He's got a cath irrigation and an IV going. They took him to the OR and did a rectal repair along with resetting his arm. Want to know what else?" the girl said teasingly.

"Cath, I spent the evening, in a barn with a heifer, tugging a calf into the world. I am already tired so let's not play twenty questions," Sally fussed at the young girl.

"He has two hearts and is missing his left lower lobe. Doctor Wilson has a cardiologist in with him now. Evidently this is one really rare birth defect. We're supposed to have two monitors for him. Who ever tortured him used a whip on him, so we put an air bed in his room."

"Damn, I thought I was coming for a car wreck, not a car wreck. Do I get an aide to settle him in?"

"Yeah, Andi Cassman is coming up from the floor. You two are supposed to do one on one with him and help out if you have time."

"Thanks, call ER and tell them, I'm here," Sally smiled and headed for a fresh cup of coffee.

Fifteen minutes after she arrived, Sally stood opposite the bed ready to lift her newest patient from the stretcher. When she spoke, her country twang enhanced he farmer's wife appearance Short grey streaked, brown hair, leathery, weather worn skin and strong hands added to the look. Nothing about her looked gentle and yet she was extraordinarily so. She swallowed her anger for the reason this young man lay bloodied, broken and seriously ill. She smiled at the way his new family watched like nervous hawks as she and the staff lifted him from the trolley to place him gently on the medical airbed. The loss of contact from the woman holding his hand and the shift in position brought a groan of protest mixed with pain. Sally mentally noted his slurred speech when he called out a plaintive_ Nan._

"It's alright, Cowboy, I'm right here," Nan answered as she slid her hand back in his. She stroked his head and as soon as she could. "See, this will be so much more comfortable," she said unable to keep the weariness out of her voice.

"Hi, I'm Sally Cummings," Sally introduced herself to this new family, "and this is my partner for the night, Andi Cassman. We'll be taking care of your ..." Sally wasn't sure what they were other than guardians.

"Consider him our long lost, nephew. I am Nan Carson, this is Mr and Mrs Munson and Annie Gleeson. We are his family."

"Yes, I know, Mrs Carson." Sally looked at the obviously tired group. She needed them to trust her, and from the look on their faces, especially Mrs Carson's, that wasn't going to be easy.

"Let us just get him settled and ask a few questions. Then we'll bring a recliner in for whomever is staying," Sally said warmly. She smiled inwardly at the way their glares softened into more of a protective stare. The woman's body language concerned her. She really hoped she would not be the person staying. The look of profound exhaustion was written all over her from the way she twisted her neck to relieve the tension to the way she unconsciously shrugged her shoulders. Her companions looked just as concerned.

"Thete," Sally spoke softly when she turned her attention to her new patient "My name is Sally . My assistant is Andi, and we're taking care of you tonight. Can you tell me what place this is?"

"Nan?" he sounded confused by the new voice.

"It's okay, Cowboy, you can answer her." Nan smiled at the older woman.

"Hospital, I'm in hospital, right?"

"That's right. I need to get you settled. We're going to put you on a monitor now, is that okay?" She smiled when he nodded at her. "Good job," she said when he cooperated.

When Thete held his hand still for Sally the small act of trust brought a smile to Nan's face.

"Can you tell me on a scale of 1-10 how you're feeling?" Sally asked gently as she wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his arm.

"Tired," was all he mumbled as he flinched when Andi replaced the bloody dressing to his foot.

"Your foot hurts a little, doesn't it?"

"Nan, make 'em go away," he mumbled in response.

Sally gave the tired woman a reassuring smile, encouraging her to stroke his head while she checked his blood pressure.

"It's okay, Cowboy. Sally is going to give you something for pain as soon as she can.

A moment later,her checks done, Sally stepped up to the unique, obviously scared family before her.

"Okay, let me just catch you up," she spoke softly, "First, his vital signs are stable, but not quite normal. His blood pressure is still low, and his heart rate - - rates are elevated. That will slowly correct itself with fluids. I understand from report that he just showed up from nowhere, and I commend you on the role you have taken on. Thete has placed his total trust in you, but if you collapse from exhaustion and can't come back, who will he depend on?" The look on Mrs Carson's face made Sally nervous. "I know your experience downstairs didn't go well. I'm not trying to make it worse, but I have to look out for what's best for him."

She felt four sets of eyes bore into her, three sets shifted to looked at Nan.

"She's right," Sarah whispered. "We need to go home, Nan. Let the nurses take care of him tonight."

For a long moment Nan said nothing when a yawn broke through. "Not until he understands what's happening to him," she whispered back stubbornly.

To underscore her concern, Thete groaned again,trying to pull away as the blood pressure cuff tightened around his arm prompting Nan to reach for his hand and begin crooning to him.

"Nan, I'll stay," Annie offered quietly. "I've already told Mike to watch the baby for the night."

Thete mumbled as he unconsciously pulled Nan's hand up to his chest. Nan looked at her friends and the nurse with tears of frustration brimming. "I can't leave him. He's lost everything."

"Partner," Hank turned his friend's face to look at him. "Sally's right. If we don't get some sleep, he'll lose us too. You are exhausted. We all are. Personally, I am going on twenty hours, and while that wasn't hard fifteen years ago, it is now."

Nan harrumphed. "I'm younger than you," she retorted with a tired grin.

"Yeah, by three years. Either take Annie up on her offer, or I will get Doc Wilson to sedate you," Hank warned gently.

"Hank's right," Sarah interjected. "You are letting your emotions over-ride your common sense, and that's not like you. We are taking you home," she announced firmly.

"So, I'm not going to win, huh."

"Nope, I will throw you over my shoulder if I have too." Hank chuckled softly.

Sally smiled when Nan flashed a petulant look at her friends. At least, Thete seemed oblivious to the whispered conversation going on around him.

"You win," Nan finally agreed, "I am sort of tired." She gently pulled her hand back.

Thete immediately opened his left eye searching for her.

"It's alright, baby," she breathed, "we have to go home for a while, but Annie is going to stay with you." Nan eased Annie's hand in his and kissed his forehead.

"Nooo, please. Don't leave." He pulled his hand away from Annie to reach for Nan, sounding more like a small child than the confused adult that he was.

"Honey, we've been up since 5 A.M and we're-"

"Knackered? Sorry," he mumbled weakly.

"Does knackered mean really tired?" She smiled when he nodded. "Well, Hank, Sarah and I are - - truly knackered. But, one of us will be here all the time. Annie is just going to stay first, okay? Do you understand, Thete? We're not leaving you alone." She stroked her fingers through his hair and then put his hand back in Annie's.

"They'll come back," he whispered. "Moron will come back."

"No, he won't, baby. You can trust Annie to keep you safe. Just do what she and the nurses say, okay."

Thete nodded slightly.

As Nan kissed his cheek, she winced at the fingerprints beginning to bruise along his jaws. The thought of why someone had forced his mouth open made her shudder. "Everything is going to be okay," she promised as she slid his hand into Annie's.

Sally patted Nan's shoulder reassuringly as Nan stepped back from the bed. "Your making a wise choice, Mrs Carson. I can read an exhausted parent a mile away." Sally chuckled lightly.

Sally watched Nan step away from the bedside as Annie encouraged him to tolerate the parade of staff that came and went over the next few minutes. She had to give it to these folks. Something about this young man had triggered a real parental response in them. The struggle Nan had with stepping back was written all over her face. It was hard to let the younger girl stay. It was tough to admit when you couldn't stay up all night the way you did when you were twenty. Sally knew because she wasn't twenty any more either.

By the time Sally had his catheter drip and IV drip set correctly: explained his care schedule, and the special equipment in his room; Thete obviously felt safe enough to actually start to doze. Seeing a smile cross Nan's tired face as Thete began to relax brought an inward sense of relief. The last thing she wanted was to deal with an exhausted short tempered family when she had a badly injured, emotionally devastated patient.

Twenty minutes after they walked into the ICU, Sally listened as the exhausted threesome bid the young girl and Thete goodnight.

o0o

Nan followed Hank and Sarah out of the room. Sensing her unease with leaving the nineteen year old girl to sit with the newest member, Sarah reached for her hand as Hank slipped an arm around her shoulder. Their biggest goal now was to keep Nan from slipping back to the day she boarded the plan for Germany. They needed to remind her that this young man, despite forging a very strange family, was not Derek.

"Hank," she asked as they walked to the elevator.

"Yeah?" he answered sounding as weary as she felt.

"What are you guys going to tell your kids? 'Cuz, I don't have a clue how to tell mine that their mom has gone around the bend and adopted a twenty something Brit."

The sound of his deep laughter echoed in the hallway.

o0o

Watching the door close behind the Munsons and Nan filled Annie with a sense of dread. Suddenly she didn't feel so grown up. Giving birth to Emily was the entirety of her hospital experience. What went on in a place like ICU, anyway? He looked so sick; what if he took a turn for the worse, or God forbid - he died. Nan would never forgive her. With a deep breath, she pulled up a recliner and sat down for a long night praying that nothing would happen. Fifteen minutes after everyone left, Sally came back to check on him. Her gentleness with Thete impressed Annie. Before long, things fell into a busy routine as the nurse carefully monitored everything, from how his equipment work, to his heart monitor and what she called his urinary output and how much blood he still oozed.

In the moments that they were alone, she realised the room was far from quiet. From the quiet blips of his heart monitors to the blower on his bed, the room provided a constant source of white noise. Annie wondered how he possibly could sleep through it. As he dozed, she watched the muscles in his jaw twitch, dreaming only God knows what. He leaned into her hand as she gently slid her fingers through his ragged, unkempt hair.

Annie held his hand and gently stroked the palm of his hand. It was the only spot she could find without a bruise. This whole thing was mind-boggling, At five, she and Emily were just sitting in the café, and now she was sitting next to a stranger. Staying caused a huge fight with her boyfriend, something she had deliberately kept from the others. There would be a bigger one in the morning, but for some reason she couldn't fathom, Annie honestly didn't care. At least, Emily slept, snug in her own crib, and the morning would take care of its self.

Thete muttered in his sleep, bringing her thoughts back to him. She just started to wipe his face, when he bolted upright, lost in the nightmare.

"K'Nar, run!"

"Shush, Lord," Annie whispered. She winced as she lied to him. "We're safe here."

Thete laid back, breathing hard, without bothering to open his eyes, something Annie silently gave thanks for. He wouldn't see that she'd just lied, and since he'd laid back, maybe, it wasn't a horrible lie.

"Where are we, K'Nar? Did we get away?" Thete gripped Annie's fingers so hard that she wondered if they'd bruise. "It's dark here," he mumbled weakly.

"We're in an abandoned house, Lord. You have to sleep now." She stroked his head until his breathing settled as he fell back to an uneasy sleep.

"Annie," Sally spoke reproachfully from the door. "Don't do that again."

"But, he thinks that I'm her; that's what he said that she called him. I just thought it would calm him. He went back to sleep," she whispered defensively.

"Sweetie, Thete has a serious concussion, so he's confused. We need to help him understand where he is, and who we are. He has to trust us, so that he will know that we won't let anything happen to him. If you lie to him, even a little, it will damage that trust, and believe me, Hon, he doesn't have much to begin with. One wrong move could destroy it; do you understand?" Sally whispered gently.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Sally. So, what should I do?"

"Just remind him that he's in the hospital and that he's safe. If he asks for her, remind him that the police are still looking for her. If we can't settle him, I will sedate him, okay?" Sally smiled at the young girl, and after checking Thete, she straightened his covers. "I'll be back with his antibiotic. We need to get it started."

Shortly after the antibiotic started, Thete shifted restlessly in his bed. His eyes fluttered under closed eyelids as he dreamed.

Rose, hang on! _The man screamed as he hung onto a lever with wind roaring around him. Cybermen and Daleks flew past as they were pulled out of the sky and off the streets. They clung to magnetic grips with all their strength. The power of the void sucked void stuff contaminated object back to hell. Including the Doctor and Rose. The tornadic winds lifted them off their feet, and her hands slipped as the wind forced her fingers from the bar and ... He watched in horror as she was torn away._

"ROSE!" He tried to reach past hands as Annie and Sally leapt to his side to stop him from hurting himself. "Thete, you're safe. You're alright. Brit, it's just a dream." Annie wrapped her arms around his shoulder. "You're with us now and it's safe."

"Annie?" Thete moaned her name as he leaned into her hug.

"It's okay, Brit, it's just a dream. I've got you." Annie kept her arms around him, letting his breathing slow, listening to him mumble mostly unintelligible nonsense. It was less than twenty minutes since he'd dreamed of K'Nar, and to Annie, it seemed her way calmed him faster, but she did as Sally ordered.

"Everything alright in here?" Sally and Annie looked up to see Jack Wilson. Thete stirred in Annie's arms at the sound of a man's voice.

"It's alright, son" The tired M.D. helped lower Thete down and stroked his head as he muttered something about getting K'Nar back. "Sally, how long since his morphine?"

"He received 10mgm at 11:30, right before they brought him up, Doctor. This is the second time, he's jerked awake."

"Okay, go ahead and give him 4mgm of Ativan."

Wilson stood with Annie listening to Thete mumble as they waited for Sally to return when, without warning, he bolted upright, "Give her back. I'll find her, and then I'm coming b..." He never finished the thought as Sally returned and injected the contents of a syringe into his IV. He sank back into Wilson's arms who laid him down. Wilson looked at the distraught girl and flashed a tired smile. "He's okay, Hon. This will probably happen a lot over the next few days, but we'll get him through."

"What kind of life has he had to have such horrible dreams. I mean, he's not that much older than me."

Wilson snorted. "Honey, until someone brutalised him, he probably led a very ordinary life. Rose is probably an old girlfriend, and that breakup is mixed up with what's happened now. He's confused, scared and sick, and this is just the beginning. When he's stronger, we'll make sure he gets the therapy he needs to get better. Are you sure that you're going to be able to do this. Do you want to stay?"

"It's not fair." She stroked Thete's head gently.

"No, it's not, and he needs a lot of support. He's going to spend the next few days feeling lost and terrified. Not only does he have to deal with his injuries, but the amnesia will frustrate the hell out of him. His life will bleed through nightmares that he won't understand. No one will blame you if it's too much; you can go home."

"And do what, Doctor Wilson, pretend I was never here? He's lost enough, I'm not leaving him. I can, and I will stay, and come back when it's my turn again," she answered decisively as she gave him a firm look.

"Good girl." Wilson patted her shoulder.

"Will he remember any of his dreams in the morning?" Annie really hoped the answer was no.

"No, I seriously doubt that he will even remember that his name is Thete in the morning. I don't know how far he will shut down to get away from the pain of what's happened."

"Good," was all she could say.

The tired doctor walked out of the room leaving the young woman to wonder once more just why she'd committed herself. She had a baby, a job and a boyfriend. Her boyfriend. Maybe, that was the reason. Mike yelled and called her dirty names when she told him to watch his own daughter. Thete, brutalised and barely conscious, rose up and threatened to rip people apart to protect her. Mike couldn't be bothered to play with his own child. Thete screamed against the dark begging for help in order to save a child, so that he could take her home to her mother. Until now, she'd never thought any man in her life should be any different from Mike. She realised that she'd had just met one. He just wasn't in very good shape.

A sudden jerk from Thete startled her from her reverie prompting Annie to resume stroking his head; he seemed to find comfort in that. The strokes calmed his breathing, and helped him doze, but sleep remained elusive. At least, the medicine kept his nightmares away. In between the twitches, jerk and restless, shifting Annie found herself clocking the length of time that his body was perfectly still: seventeen minutes. Sally said his body was in fight-or-flight mode, and that it could take hours before he felt safe enough to sleep. Until then, they just needed to keep him calm. For what Annie felt was the hundredth time, Sally checked the IV's, drips and monitors. The tracings on the monitor scared Annie. Sally seemed obsessed with checking his double heart beat.

"Is he okay, Sally?"

The older woman smiled reassuringly and nodded. "As far as I can tell, except for the fact that his rates are still too high they are both seem perfectly normal. It does throw me to hear a heart beating on the right side of someone's chest though. We'll be lucky if half the medical staff isn't in here by morning, wanting to listen to his chest, and see his readouts."

The comment stunned Annie. The very thought that some doctor would consider him an oddity angered her. "He's not a guinea pig." Annie said firmly ensconced in a protective mode.

"No, he's not, but his birth defects are extremely rare," Sally answered, "Between his hearts and his lungs missing a lobe, caring for him will be different. Our whole staff needs to learn how to care for him properly. We have to figure out what his normal blood pressure is, what his normal heart rates are, whether to count them as separate beats, or together. His missing lobe means we have to get him to cough, so I won't have to snake a tube in his nose. Just make sure he doesn't rub his oxygen cannulae out of his nose. Even with his oxygen, his level is on the low side. There are things we have to do, including checking his temp a lot., try not to worry."

Annie nodded . "Why do you check his temperature so much, it's always normal."

"Because, it shouldn't be. He should be running at least a low-grade fever. If he doesn't run a fever, it means his body isn't fighting infection, and we'll need to deal with that sooner than later. Let's get him to cough now, okay?"

"He is kind of wheezy, isn't he." Annie rubbed his chest gently, dreading having to wake him up after such a horrid nightmare, but having a tube stuck in his nose sounded worse. "Hey, Brit, can you wake up a little. Sally needs you to try to cough up the junk in your chest. Wake up, Honey."

"Annie, what's wrong?" he mumbled weakly.

"Nothing, Sally just needs you to cough. Can you do that?" Annie held a pillow to his chest to support his three broken ribs as he tried to comply. Annie felt her own tears trickle down her cheeks listening to his moans from the ineffective effort. She fled when another nurse held his head while Sally suctioned him. She wanted to sob when he begged them to stop. She felt a hand reach out to hold hers as she stood in the doorway and watched Sally flex his wrist down for the nurse to stick a needle in his artery. She turned to see an elderly man smiling at her in support. "They will fix him, little one, don't you worry." He squeezed her hand, and then left to return to his own family member.

He was still shuttering and breathless when she was allowed by his side.

"Annie," he asked when he could talk again, "where did you go; they were mean to me?"

"I had to step out for a minute, so Sally could do that test. They weren't trying to be mean, they needed to know how much oxygen is in your blood. It's alright now, I'm here. Try to rest okay."

"Annie, K'Nar's crying. Why are they making her cry?"

Annie massaged his head. His voice was hardly more than a hoarse whisper; sounding as if someone had stuffed a hot dog in his mouth. He was too tired even to open his good eye, yet he still worried for someone else, and she found that astonishing.

"It's not K'Nar," she promised. "I swear: it's not. It's the old lady next door, and she's sick just like you. Her husband and nurse are with her. Try to sleep, Thete."

Several minutes later, Annie felt his grip on her hand tighten. "K'Nar's dead," he murmured softly.

"Thete, we don't know that. They are still looking for her."

"I call for her and she doesn't answer. She'd answer if she were alive."

"I'm so sorry this happened to you." Annie stroked his hand, trying to avoid the bruises that spread from his wrists all the way into his fingers.

"S'OK," he mumbled, "Don't let them hurt the lady that's crying. Help me save her, okay?"

"I won't let them hurt her; try to rest."

For the next few minutes, he lay quiet seemingly enjoying Annie stroking his head. Then just he had earlier, he began to shift restlessly in the bed. To Annie it seemed that he just couldn't get comfortable. He began to swallow reflexively and just as she hit his call light, he bolted upright.

"Nan?" Thete jerked, panic-stricken as sick exploded.

"She's asleep, Honey." Annie grabbed the pan and slid under his mouth. "It's okay, Sally is coming."

"Annie, let me die, please Annie." In between the sick, he was hardly aware that Sally had come in and medicated him.

"No, Thete it will get better, I promise," the nurse reassured him.

"Why are you punishing that woman? I broke your rules, punish me?"

"Oh Honey, no one is punishing her, she's just confused. No one is going to hurt you either. You haven't broken any rules," Sally spoke gently as Annie ran her fingers through his hair until he dozed again, cursing the people who had done this.

Annie felt tears sting again as she watched his face relax and his breathing settle. A feeling began to rear its head that she had never truly experienced. She discovered hate. She hated the people who had done this to Thete, and his sister. She didn't just want them caught; she wanted them dead.

Thete dozed off and on, but as the early morning hours ticked by, he stopped asking for Nan, and he no longer mentioned K'Nar's name . It dawned on Annie that his amnesia might encompass the events at the café. To help him remember, she asked Sally to help her download pictures that she'd taken while trying the camera feature on her new phone. With a little help from the supervisor, they posted pictures with the names of his rescuers. and staff on the wall closest to his bed. Underneath, they posted his name in block letters.

When Annie finally sat down, she smiled to see that he'd silently watched them work. He looked at her with one bleary, green eye and tried to smile. She gently wiped his face, hoping the cool dampness would help the bruises feel better.

"Annie," Thete asked, his voice barely audible, "I can't see right. What are you doing?"

"It's alright; your right eye is swollen shut. Your vision will clear when the swelling goes down. You have to rest, okay?" She almost chuckled when he leaned his head into her hand as she stroked his head. "We just put some pictures up. You can see them later."

"Do you know what the Mystic Mountain is?"

"No, Honey, is it a theme park in Europe?"

"It's in the Carina Nebulae. It's a three-light year tall mountain of cool hydrogen gas. The stars inside release gasses, so they stack up on each other. It's sooo beautiful. Annie, I want to go home."

"I know, Hon. We'll find your home, I promise. Try to sleep a little - please, just for a while."

Shortly after five in the morning, Thete's grip on Annie's hand relaxed as he finally fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

When she was sure he wouldn't wake up, Annie went to the Night supervisor and asked her to go on NASA's website to download pictures of galaxies. By six, she had pictures of the stars next to his name. When she finished, she curled up in the recliner, held his hand and watched him breathe until exhaustion took hold and she fell asleep.

o0o

"Annie?" Sarah gently shook the young woman.

Annie jumped at Sarah's touch. She didn't remember falling asleep. She stretched her legs, dropped the foot of the recliner and rose to hug the older woman.

"How did he do?" Sarah asked quietly. As she spoke, Thete shifted in his sleep, and reached for Annie without waking up. Annie stroked his head until his hand relaxed.

"It was awful, Sarah. He had horrible nightmares and threw up the nastiest stuff. He asked for Nan and K'Nar until four, but after that, he decided that his sister is dead. He kept thinking the old lady next door was being tortured because he broke some damn rule. He didn't go to sleep until after five." The words came out in a frustrated torrent. "We put up pictures to help him remember who's who. Now, they're worried about his immune system." She couldn't stop her tears of exhaustion.

Sarah pulled her into a tight hug. "Let's get you out of here. Hank is going to take you home. You did a good job, Honey, especially with the pictures." Annie let Sarah lead her out of the room into Hank's waiting arms. Too exhausted to protest, she went home after garnering promises that Sarah would make sure everyone would get their picture taken for Thete's wall.

o0o

Thete opened his eyes to see a blurry image of an elegant black woman smiling at him. When she spoke, her accent was - different. She wasn't British, but it was nice. She had a soft, lyrical pattern to her words that was vaguely familiar. She murmured soft words as she stroked his head, and it felt - good. It certainly helped the pounding in his head. Finally, plucking up his courage, he just had to ask who she was.

"Who are you and what did you do with Annie?" he asked hoarsely.

She smiled softly. "Do you remember Hank?" Sarah asked gently.

Thete's eyebrows furrowed and slowly, he nodded. "You're Sarah, his wife, from A&E."

"Yes I am, and you, young man, need to sleep. Now, close your eyes and rest."

Thete did as he was told, but as the morning started there was little time to rest. His spent his first full day as a human hyper-vigilant and confused by the sea of faces and sounds, most of which he didn't understand. Wilson's morning visit was followed by the Cardiologist, and three other doctors whose specialities ended with 'ologists' all wanting to make sure their new patient had survived the night. Thete didn't understand why they all kept invading his space. His first new enemy was the male X-Ray tech, followed closely by the Respiratory therapist.

Sarah spent her day, reassuring him that the techs wouldn't hurt him, and the therapist wasn't trying to suffocate him. He nearly slugged his nurse when the sound of a woman's voice came through his call box. After that, it was silenced, with a note at the desk ordering his lights to be answered in person. He worried most of the day for the elderly patient in the next room, afraid he was failing her by not finding a way to rescue her from her torment.

Occasionally Sarah would look over as she read to him and see a slight smile, but then, it would fade. That tore at her heart because she knew that he was thinking of his little sister. But not once, except when calling out from a nightmare, did he mention the girl's name. Annie was right: he believed that she was dead. By three, Sarah felt as if she had spent the day with a giant, colicky baby, and realised why she retired from teaching. She was getting too old to bounce up and down all day.

A short while later, Sarah laid down her knitting, and stretched to relieve the ache in her tired back. For the moment, Thete was quiet; his face was almost peaceful. He was breathing easier after his last treatment. He'd even managed to cough a little better. With no sign that he was dreaming, Sarah kissed his forehead and headed for a cup of coffee. Five minutes later, Thete jerked awake calling for K'Nar, and found himself alone.

An elderly woman's voice cut through the quiet of his room, calling for help. Someone, probably The Voice, was hurting her. It was the only reason that he could think of why she would continuously call out. There was no one to stop him from getting to her. Surely, Sarah would understand - once he saved the lady, and then she would help him hide the woman from The Voice. Waves of pain shot through his body as he tried to climb out of bed. He just had to find the old woman. He froze when he heard a deep male voice telling him to stop.

"Thete, boy, what are you doing?" Hank yelled as he walked in with Sarah.

"I have to help her." Thete struggled to pull himself up. "She needs help."

Hank and Sarah were both at his side in four steps, glad Abby was behind him.

"You can't get up, Thete," Hank ordered firmly, "because - Doctor Wilson ordered you on strict bed rest. You've got tubes and wires everywhere."

"What - why?" Thete whinged as Hank slid his lanky legs back under the covers. He was glad Thete's vision was still blurry, and that he was too confused to notice the deep bruises and welts covering his legs.

"Because... Remember - - we told you - - you fell." Hank ignored the stunned look on his wife's face as he thought wildly. Wilson had warned them not to mention or discuss his rape anywhere that he could hear. "Well," Hank swallowed, "when you fell, you - landed on your backside and slid down a hill. It wasn't a really big hill, but it had a tree, and you landed on it - on a tree branch, and you're hurt down there - between your legs. You're all bruised up - down - there, and that's why you can't get up." Hank glanced up, sending silent thanks to God that Thete's confusion kept him from knowing that he had just been handed a load of horse manure, but at least, he laid back. "Besides," Hank finished, "someone else is saving the lady."

Abby slid beside Hank and injected Thete's morphine, sending him back to sleep before he could protest.

"A tree branch!" Sarah and Abby both burst out giggling. Are you kidding me?" Sarah smacked his arm.

"It's the best I could come up with on the spur of the moment," He answered guiltily.

"Right, Did you remember to put gas in the car?" Sarah grinned up at her husband.

"Yes, and fed the horses. Go home," he kissed her forehead, "I've got this: trees and all."


	18. Chapter 18 Even Spies Cry

Jack holstered the Webley as soon as the cogwheel rolled shut, safely securing the TARDIS. He rested his head against the cold, metal door wishing this headache would evaporate. But it wasn't, and he had to turn around. He sucked air in through his nose before pushing away from the door and turned to face the angry group of people behind him.

"Gwen, don't you have things to do. I saw the monitor spike that occurred on Calbrey Street while I was gone. The report isn't on my desk," he said tiredly.

"You bloody tosser, you just pulled this and you're asking for a report after?" Gwen walked up to inches from his face.

"There is nothing to discuss here. Go back to work," he replied calmly.

"You son- of," River snarled.

"Oi, language," he protested. He stood with legs apart, and arms crossed looking very much like a tired father.

"You pulled a gun - Jack, on people who are upset. How did that work with Owen?" Gwen retorted.

Jack's face darkened as he straightened up. "Do. Not. Bring Owen into this, Gwen. That's not fair."

"Then maybe you should've learnt that you can't be a heavy-handed jack-ass all the time, Jack. Sometimes, I just want to tell you to go stuff yourself."

"That job is already taken by someone else," Jack snarled as he pushed past the four standing in front of him.

"Jack, don't you walk away from me," Gwen yelled after his quickly disappearing back. "Jack Harkness, you're a bloody wanker!"

"Like I said, Gwen, language," he yelled back as he reached the control room and headed for the lift. God, that Welsh woman had a temper, Jack thought. No one can draw out Jack in as many syllables as she can.

He shook his head, ignored Gwen calling him a bloody wanker again - this time in Welsh as he headed for the lift, and then the rooftop where he could breathe.

He genuinely didn't care if River threatened him with dismemberment. Truth told, he didn't care what the others said or did. He had heard it all before; more times than he could count, but Gwen; that hurt and it hurt deeply. After everything, they'd gone through; everything that had happened over the last few years he expected her to trust him. Fresh sea air greeted him as he reached the roof to survey the city. He stood there, letting the night air wash over him. His heart slowed down, and the anger melted away, replaced by... replaced by what? Fear - grief? He didn't know, nor did he know how much time passed when his monitor's proximity alarm beeped that someone was coming up the lift. He didn't bother to turn around when Ianto stepped up beside him.

"Gwen's taking them home with her. I don't think Rhys is too happy. He might be joining us."

"I did the right thing."

"If you say so, Jack."

"Go to hell, Ianto," Jack said bitterly.

"That's Owen's line, and since he's not here..."

Jack turned to look into the young Welshman's eyes. Tears streamed down Jack's face. "Ianto, Gwen should know this is killing me. I'd love to say 'screw the treaty', but then what happens? What happens if you or Gwen go on foreign soil and get into trouble. I won't be able to get you out. We're on borrowed time with the government, Yan. I can't risk it. I love him, but I have to follow the treaty. I have to protect you; I have to. I can't lose another member of this team because of my screw-ups."

"I know, Jack. Let's go in. We'll use the stopwatch."

Jack stared back across the bay, sighed deeply and let out a mirthless chuckle as he gave in to Ianto's attempt to comfort him. He felt the Welshman take his hand, pulling him back to the lift; to their world. Jack's shoulders sagged with a mixture of exhaustion and relief when silence greeted them. He just smiled as Ianto, wordlessly handed him a cup of hot coffee spiked with Irish whiskey. He didn't resist the gentle push towards the stairs leading down to the dungeon that Jack called a room. Starting in the morning, he would find out what was going on; at least he would try.

o0o

The morning dawned cold and raining. Jack stood leaning against the doorway of his office nursing a cup of coffee as they all trooped back in. He flashed a bright smile that didn't quite make it to his eyes. His attempt to let things go was rewarded by quiet, angry stares.

"Good morning to you lot, too," he quipped as he toasted them with his cup. "Ianto's made fresh coffee." He snapped back to boss mode. "Gwen, monitor the consulates and the American police. I've been up most of the night looking for a report from them, but there is nothing. I still need that report on the Calbrey incursion."

"Right, I'll get to work then," she answered coolly.

"You lot," he beckoned to the three companions, "I'd like to talk to you; maybe explain things a bit better." He gestured toward his office.

He watched them as they stood there looking back up at him. He had to make them understand, that he was forced to live in three worlds, one inside the Hub, the world he protected and lately, the political world that had never gotten past Canary Wharf. He was responsible for keeping all of them safe. Both women were still clearly angry, but at least Rory headed up the stairs. Amy and River looked at each other and then Rory's back as he took the stairs to the upper level.

"Let's go," River muttered as they followed the man.

Jack stood at the top of the stairs watching Gwen as she headed back to her computer to track down those reports. At least, she flashed an apologetic look that read poor Jack. He smiled at the three, stood back to let them in the office then closed the door. He hoped that he could get them to understand just how important, The Right to Mutual Protection and Defense against Alien Life treaty were to Torchwood's ability to operate on an international level. Without it, agency's ability to operate was severely impaired. But the explanation just didn't cut it, and they also didn't care that the treaty was his idea. After that, he disappeared from the Hub, leaving the three with Ianto and Gwen.

"I need to check something out," River said when he was gone. "I'll be back soon." River hugged her mother goodbye.

"River?" Amy started as River punched her vortex manipulator disappeared; leaving Rory and Amy to explain to Ianto and Gwen. If Gwen had noticed the flash of light from River's vortex manipulator, she said nothing.

The hours ticked by frustratingly slow. They expected to have him back within a few hours of the first Bolo, but they were still waiting for the official word for the sake of Jack's treaty. Walking around the plaza, and poking around shops was not how they wanted to spend their time. By now Jack should have received his stupid travel orders from 10 Downing Street. Instead, they spent a dreary day walking the shoreline of the bay waiting for errant companions to return. This was not how things were supposed to go. Even Gwen and Ianto's tour of the Hub and explanation of Torchwood's function did little to alleviate the feeling that they were merely tag-a-longs.

"You know; River's been gone for a while." Amy looked over at him, making a motion for him to wipe away bits of rice on his chin. "What do you think she's doing?"

"She's a big girl, Amy."

"I know; it's just... she's very angry, and you know how she is when she's angry."

"Actually," Rory leaned forward on the desk, "no we don't. We just know that she's in prison; we don't know why. We know that she is our d ... " Rory hesitated to make sure no one was listening, "our friend, but we don't know much about her at all. What we know Amy, is that she is scared and angry. I'm angry. We are all angry - and scared. It breaks my heart that she's hurting for him. I know how it feels to have something or someone stand between you and the person you love. I've been there - twice. Actually three, if you count the two thousand years I waited as an Auton. But, I also know that, if we all rush in there; if he really does have amnesia - it could be disastrous."

"But, why can't we go check on him? There has to be a way to get in, sort of unofficially, scope the town out; make sure there are no soldiers around."

His breath hitched at the sight of her stretching both legs over the arm of the couch while she looked at him with a pensive smile. "I guess - we could fly to Louisville and hire a car." Rory lowered his voice as he felt his resolve weaken. "And check out the town, but I'm not going to do anything that raises suspicion," Rory said firmly, or at least as firmly as he ever could with her.

"Why can't we ask Jack for the TARDIS back?"

"Amy, I..." Rory stopped when he saw Jack appear in the doorway.

"You can, Red. You can ask me for almost anything." Jack called from the hallway, "if for no other reason, I get my office back." He chuckled at the young couple. "Where's River?"

"She's out ... walking ... on the Plass." Amy hesitated before answering. She lifted her legs off the arm of the couch and sat up straight. "Why do you want her? She's still more than a bit narked at you."

"Are you sure that she's out there - because she's not on CCTV."

"As far as I know - yes," Amy answered as she met his eyes.

They both watched his face cloud over, "Her vortex manipulator, I forgot her vortex manipulator, damn it! Where did she go?"

"We don't know," Rory answered. "Right after you left; she smiled, and did the same."

"Well, that's brilliant." He stared up at Mcfanway flying around, "We do need to know what's going on over there. I've put as much pressure on the Chicago Consulate as I can for an answer to the BOLO. They have nothing. Ianto refreshed the BOLO and searched the local police computer. They've listed him as unknown kidnap victim. That's it; that's all we've got."

"We could have gone last night," Amy said flatly. "In fact, you could have told us that this morning."

Jack drew a breath. "Amy, what I said about the treaty isn't an excuse for leaving him there, it's to keep all of us safe in the long run. Americans are a suspicious lot, especially small town Americans. What do you think would have happened if we rushed in there, even with the TARDIS, and took him back. If K'Nar did the half job she said she did, he'd have screamed in terror. We don't know how bad things are with him. Please understand, this is what I do for a living."

Amy folded her arms. "You always make everything all about what you do, don't you? Who was Owen, Jack? Did making it about what you want work with him?"

The smile left Jack's face. His attempt at banter and reason fled, replaced by a formal, professional tone. "Owen was my friend, and he is dead. Do not bring things into this that you don't understand. Now, because I know how to get him back without creating an international fiasco, or putting him at more risk, we will do this my way." Jack's forced smile came back. "The first step is sending two beautiful women over to scope the place out. Their cops will look for strange men asking questions, so a bloke roaming around will generate too much interest. So - get her... please."

Unable to meet the pain in Jack's blue eyes, she shifted her gaze to the wall. River's voice broke the guilty silence in the room. "I'm already here," she said ignoring the tension. "I want you to unlock the TARDIS."

"Where did you go?" Jack whirled in anger at the unexpected interruption, "or should I say: what have you done?"

"Oh, here and there; doing this and that," River said breezily pushing past to hug Amy.

Jack studied her and then stepped to the railing in apparent defeat. "Excuse me; I am in charge, remember?" he said.

"Yes, Jack." River smiled, too sweetly when she faced him. "Yes, you certainly are - in charge of Torchwood." She motioned to the cogwheel. "I need the TARDIS computers for a spot of hacking. I need to check the consulate's system."

"Why?" His tone softened slightly.

"There's a lot going on. First, someone is still manipulating our timelines. I couldn't find out enough to know how much, or who NaV0 worked for, but I did have a chat with an old Zylok friend who is a visitor here. I used his computer, which has 42nd century state of the art capabilities. I couldn't find more than his location. I watched you send those BOLOs, but there are no reports concerning him or requesting information about him - anywhere. I think someone or something is scrambling Torchwood's communications. Someone is still after him."

"No-one can scramble our communications," Jack replied.

"I need the TARDIS's computers to prove it,"

Jack studied River's face and then took a deep breath before he swept his arm toward the stairs, "Let's go, Curly Tops. Gwen, roll the wheel back."

Ten minutes later, River stared at the TARDIS screen. "What's wrong with you," she crooned to the ship. "Jack, tell Gwen to plant another report." Two minutes later, the report showed up on the screen, and before anyone could blink, they watched as it disappeared.

"How's that possible?" Amy asked. She joined her daughter at the screen.

Jack snapped his fingers, "We need Yan. Torchwood's computers are second only to the TARDIS herself." The group returned to the Hub's computers and watched as Ianto took mere seconds to break into the UNIT network.

"Worm." Ianto whistled softly, "and, a very sophisticated one."

"How could a worm infect one of the most secure systems on this world?" Rory asked.

"This one," Ianto tapped the computer screen, "is very intricate, and I don't think it's from Earth. It may take me awhile for me to break it." Jack and River both joined Ianto at his screen as he continued. "I ran a quick non-terrestrial scan and came up with a blip; watch." Ianto moved to a second screen and typed in a request for info concerning The Doctor, Theta Smith, John Smith and lastly Jonathan Theta Smith.

"I plant this request in Cardiff's police computer system. The whereabouts of one Jonathon Theta Smith, now watch the other screen." Ianto hit enter, and everyone moved to the first screen. A small blue flash occurred; within a second, the report was gone.

"It's been eating every request and notification we've entered. That's why we haven't gotten our notification." He finished.

"Who would do that?" Amy asked.

River straightened when she realised the answer. "That idiot. That bloody idiot," she snarled. "We're not just fighting the scum altering time lines, but he's gone and bollocks things up, too!"

"What he? What did whoever he is - do?" Amy asked.

"The Doctor," Jack answered. "The he is the Doctor; he installed this worm. Every time someone did a search for him, it spread through the networks." Jack stood with his arms crossed staring at the screen. "This changes things. We need the TARDIS to override it."

"She won't," River answered firmly. "She can't. If she didn't flag it when I planted the requests, then he's made its protection a part of her command program. She won't break the command."

"Well, I just have to trace when and where it started, and then I might be able to write an override patch. It's going to take me awhile, though." Ianto stared at the computer, and then looked up at Jack as he nodded toward River.

Jack flashed a smile at River. "Please - take Amy and check things out; just don't try to see him. Come back safe."

River turned to Rory, "And, D-," she corrected herself before she finished the word. "Rory, don't worry. I'll bring Amy back safe.

She turned to Jack. "I do know what is at stake, far better than you realise. But you need to understand: we don't work for you. So now that we're all calm; may I suggest we swallow our pride and hurt feelings, and work as a team - of equals - to figure out what's going on."

Just outside the TARDIS door, she checked the readings on her comm unit and addressed the group, "I'm leaving the TARDIS there. If she's next to him, she'll stay calm and let me know if there is anything wrong. Besides, it will drive her crazy if she can't help us."

Jack drew a breath and turned to Ianto, "Ianto, get to work tracking where this thing starts. Find that patch. When this is over, and he is healthy, I swear, I am kicking his skinny arse all the way to Raxacoricofallapatorius and Margaret's new family." He turned on his heels and headed for his office. No one said a word until Gwen cleared her throat.

"Don't believe I'm familiar with that particular story." She said to no-one in particular.

Ten minutes later, Amy stood at the door of the TARDIS with her arms around Rory kissing him hard. Their tongues danced across each other leaving them both breathless. "Be careful," he whispered huskily when they pulled apart, "he might not know who we are, but we still need to make him proud."

"We'll just make sure he's safe, and then come straight back. Rory, why do you think that he's not going to remember anything, I mean, besides what K'Nar says she did?"

He kissed her forehead, "I don't know, it's just a feeling. I can't explain it. Just get back safe and make sure it's not twelve years, okay."

o0o

The TARDIS materialized under the third floor ramp of the hospital's car park. River promptly took her a second out of time to keep her invisible, and then checked the scanners to verify no one was around. The place was people free, but not CCTV free, so River made sure the camera saw only a quiet car park. They couldn't risk security personnel watching two women pop out of thin air. It might tend to spook a few folks, and would certainly tick off Jack. It wasn't that River cared about making Jack angry, but it would upset her parents if their picture showed up in the local paper with the heading Alien Women step out of Nothing.

Desperate to take him home, they both fought an almost over-powering urge to enter the hospital. Neither could stand the thought of at least not seeing him. Before they stepped out, Amy flashed a cheeky grin at her daughter. " Don't suppose you have an invisibility cloak like a certain wizard, do you ? It feels wrong to be this close and not go find him."

River laughed. " You know, we could use perception filters and find a way past security. As long as we're careful; we could scoot in, check on him and get out, none the wiser. We can't ask questions, but we can make sure there are no military around him. What do you think?"

"Jack will be cross if we start an international incident," Amy deadpanned.

"Yes, he will." River chuckled. "Shall we?"

"We don't tell Jack?" Amy grinned

"No... or Dad - - unless something is wrong."

River turned back to the ancient typewriter and typed the specifications. In less than ten minutes, the ship provided perception filters with bio-dampers designed to look like wedding rings. Amy grinned as she quickly replaced her own band. They waited as the ship showed the location of their Time Lord. The sight of his bio sign on the screen made their breath quicken. Locating a computer record of his care proved far more difficult. The only thing they managed to access was a brief admission note of John Doe. Someone didn't want outsiders to find him. River wasn't sure wether that was good or bad, but as they walked out of the TARDIS, she intended to find out what was happening to the alien they both loved.

"How does this work?" Amy asked as she waggled her fingers. "I mean, are we invisible?" She giggled nervously.

"No." River chuckled. "The filter directs attention away from us, and as long as we move and speak quietly, no one will notice us. The bio-damper will mask our vital signs, so their security monitors won't pick us up. We can walk through a scanner like a ghost, and move along with a group, unnoticed. We can even ride the lift without trouble. Then, we just wait for someone to enter the unit, and we..." she made a walking motion with her fingers, "toddle in after. Ready?"

Amy nodded. Both women had self-satisfied grins as they left the car park and followed a group of giggling students through the front lobby door. They headed straight for the closest lift and waited.

"This is better than an invisibility cloak," Amy whispered with a nervous giggle.

"Shh," River shook her head.

No one paid attention to the two women following a group of visitors into an elevator just as the doors closed or when the third floor button lit up without apparently being pushed. When the other visitors disembarked on the second floor, they both realised they'd held their breath when they let out deep sighs. Once on the third floor, they headed for the ICU where they joined a small group of people waiting for the ten o'clock visiting hour. The group of five became a group of seven when the door buzzed open.

They walked into a place of organised chaos with staff going in and out of rooms while several doctors stood at the nurses station reviewing charts. x-rays, and monitor printouts . Amy and River avoided the crowd at the station, choosing instead to ease around the perimeter of the unit. A man and a woman in blue scrubs stood next to a x-ray machine outside room seven arguing. Glad for the distraction, they headed in that direction, hoping to get a glimpse of the Doctor. They stepped behind a young woman telling off the man whom they guessed was a tech as they headed for the Doctor's room. They both grinned when they heard to the young nurse rip into the tech.

"Big sign on the door Charlie! It states plainly: no men in the room without a nurse or his family! You're lucky I stopped him from punching you!"

"Yeah, well you can explain why his chest film is late when Wilson calls the department having a cow! I don't have time to deal with a fa-"

"A what, Charlie? Say it Charlie... oh, please. I'd love to make sure you're thrown out of here on your backside!" The nurse snarled.

"Loon, Abby. All I was going to say is a freakin' loon, and he is. I'm not getting belted by him!"

Amy dug her nails into River's arm to fight the urge to join in. She wanted to reach out and smack the man for his implication and his hateful tone.

"Yeah, like that's what you were going to say. I know you," her voice went up a notch, "Charlie, and I know what you were going to let out of your mouth. Don't you dare even trying to refer to my patient like that! Let me catch you saying it. Just as soon someone beats you to a pulp and then you're..."

"Abby!" A slightly older woman came out of an office, looking as if she wanted to smack someone. "That is enough! I will not have arguments on my unit! Charlie, you won't have to worry about Wilson having a cow. I'm doing it for him. You ever speak about a patient on my unit like that again, I will personally see to it that you're suspended. I've already called your supervisor and asked for another tech." The woman's authoritative tone was coldly professional.

"Kathy, this isn't my fault."

"Charlie, I have family members and doctors listening to you, now - get off my unit! Abby, make sure Mrs. Munson doesn't need help getting Thete to calm down."

Amy and River watched the tech storm off, leaving his equipment in the hall, the young nurse disappear into seven, and the older nurse return to her office. It didn't take much to figure out that they liked the woman who was obviously the matron. They eased past the rooms until they could look through seven's observation window. Both of them swallowed their sobs at the sight. The Doctor lay with his left arm on pillows. He sported a pale blue short cast and some sort of shoulder stabilizer. In addition to his two IV's, a heart monitor showed two steady rhythms and his blood pressure. An older, black woman leaning over the rail tried to calm him. When the woman caught his restless hand, they could see an oxygen sensor clipped to his finger. They couldn't see his face or the face of the woman leaning over him, but they could hear his moans and see his shifting legs move under a quilt someone had brought from home. They watched her gently stroke his hair, murmuring softly to him. They barely made out her words.

"Shush now, I've got you, son, he's gone now. It's alright, Thete. We'll just do the x-ray later. Everything is going to be okay."

"Please, not again ... hurts," was all they could hear from the Doctor. He not only sounded incredibly weak, but terrified. They watched the woman kiss him gently as the nurse administered something in his IV and watched his legs stop moving. River took Amy by the elbow, pulled her away from the window, and eased both of them back out of the unit. No one noticed the door open and close, or two women leaning heavily against the wall trying to hang on to their composure. When their legs could work again, they found the stairs the fastest way to get back outside where they could breathe.

They fled to the only safe place where they could cry. Amy felt strange holding her daughter as she wept - she was always so in control. It was almost thirty minutes before they could fix tea and plot the rest of their hunt for information. River typed Mrs. Munson's name into the TARDIS computer and came back with the needed information. She and her husband Henry owned a café with a woman named Nan Carson. All three had spotless records. "At least, she looked kind. That's a relief, knowing he has someone kind looking after him." Amy offered after reading the screen.

"Yes - she did," River answered quietly. "Right then," she said with a forced change in her tone. "Let's go see what else we can find out."

"River?" Amy said with concern.

"I'm alright, Mother. Let's go: we have work to do."

With a map printed out by the TARDIS, the two exited the car park, turned right and walked up the tree-lined street for the centre of town. Sunlight filtered through the fall foliage. The stroll gave them a chance to process not only the place, but the situation their Time Lord found himself. As Amy and River walked from the hospital to the centre of town they passed antique shops, art galleries and local artist shops. They strolled past recently restored early twentieth century homes, with neat gardens decorated for Halloween.

They told people their husbands were in meetings, in Louisville on business, and they were out exploring the area. In every shop, they visited, the conversation turned to the beaten, supposedly the British stranger that had shown up out of nowhere during the storm. To keep their cover intact, they went shopping, purchasing two quilts and a painting of a nineteenth century mansion sitting above a bend of the Ohio River. Nan's Café was next on the list. River wanted to see the people who rescued the Doctor.

It was disappointing to find a note posted on the doors that read Closed due to Family Illness. Police tape still stretched across the alley. Amy couldn't stop the tears that traced down her cheeks. A picture of him, alone bloodied and brutalised falling out of the vortex with no real memory, filled her mind. The sudden change in his circumstances must have left him even more confused and lost than what happened in the cell. And then, for that jerk back at the hospital to say what he did ... it infuriated her.

"How much of an international incident would it cause to rip that X-Ray guy's head off," she said quietly. "You know what he was trying to say don't you?"

"Yes, I do, and I thought that nurse was going to slap him six ways to Sunday. Come on, Mother, let's find someplace to eat." River tugged her arm gently, "Someone is always willing to gossip about their neighbours. We can still find out what kind of people they are."

Amy wiped off her tears as she ran her fingers across the tape one more time. She drew a deep breath, to regain a sense of control then followed River down the street. They found a little diner with a fifties decor. The tacky decor included a juke box against one wall and neon signs on the wall. River and Amy smiled at the somewhat cheesy retro look. Once they found a seat, a young waitress came to take their orders and giggled at their accent.

"They say the fella they found last night sounds a lot like you," she said with a strong southern accent. "Y'all aren't missing a relative are you?" she teased.

"Sorry, I don't understand?" River smiled at the girl. "I'm not missing anyone."

"Who found whom?" Amy asked innocently.

"Well, during the storm last night, some fella showed up outside Nan's Cafe all beat up. My mom said," the girl rambled on, "Miss Barbara was there and that the guy was beat up bad and that he was English like you. She said there was a girl with him, but they couldn't find her."

"I'm not English," Amy smiled at her, "I'm Scottish."

"Oh, well - what are you doing here?"

"Trying to eat," River quipped. "Sounds as if the stranger caused a bit of excitement."

"Everybody is talkin' about it. Ain't every day, a stranger just shows up in an alley," the girl answered, "let alone in a storm like that one. It was awful last night."

"There must be a lot of police around here this morning."

"Not that I've seen, well except for the State Police. I did see them at Nan's. My boyfriend is friends with Annie's, oh she was at the cafe' last night too. Anyway, he says the guy probably got away from the drug cartel running up 65."

"Does he now?" Amy answered as she tried not to giggle at the silly notion. Before they knew it, the surrounding customers joined in the conversation, and while Amy and River ate, the conversation turned to theories that proved intriguing. It seemed half the town bought the theory that he was a kidnap victim of the drug cartels coming up from Florida, and the other half believed he was a victim of the crime overflow from Louisville. At least two said that he was a victim of some terrorist gang, and that's why the State boys were actually at Nan's. They couldn't explain why the Feds hadn't come to town if that were true.

Amy and River listened, and mused about the kind of people who would take care of a stranger in this day and age. That sent the conversation off on a discussion of the owners of Nan's. By the time, they'd finished eating, Amy and River felt more secure about leaving their Time Lord in the care of the owners. As they walked back to the car park, they looked for any sign of Homeland Security or the military.

No-one noticed as they entered the car park and walked up three ramps to the alcove where the TARDIS hid. The ship was calmer than she had been in days. All River heard from her now was a soft hum, as if she were singing to her pilot. It was hard not to check in on him again, but they stored their purchases, and prepared to leave. To satisfy the gnawing worry, River performed one last scan for the presence of government patted her goodbye, stepped out, and jumped home knowing that she would act as a sentinel. If the ship felt him in danger, she would return to get them.

o0o

Ianto spent twelve hours leaning over the computer screen lost in the art of tracing an untraceable computer worm. He felt as if his eyes would fall out of his head as fatigue tugged at his brain. But at this moment as he looked up to see five people standing around him satisfaction overrode the feeling. "I've got it, sir," he announced quietly but with a broad grin. "I've actually done it."

"About damn time," Jack growled at his friend and lover.

"Jack, I'm sorry that I'm not as brilliant as Tosh was, but I did it," Ianto replied resentfully.

"You've got the patch?" River said as she joined Jack at the computer screen.

"What, no. I found where it started."

"That's it, after twelve hours, that's all you've got. Where and when?" Jack fought against the need to be angry at something. The last thing that he wanted was to take his frustration out on Ianto.

"Someone inserted it, in a computer at The British Library at St Pancras in April of 2005."

"Right after the spaceship hit Big Ben," Jack stated.

"I thought that was a hoax." Rory leaned in. "What does that mean?"

"It gets better, Jack. One year later, in July of 2006 someone upgraded it from Torchwood One," Ianto continued, "right after..."

"Canary Wharf. That's why, despite UFO sightings and incursions, there were no inquiries about the Doctor. He's in the official reports of events, but inquiries about him dropped off the chart. How long until you can get around this damn thing."

"Tomorrow, definitely, probably tomorrow." Ianto smiled at Jack. "Maybe ..." He finished wistfully.


	19. Chapter 19 I'm cutting down that tree

(Thirty-six hours after falling out the vortex)

Thete opened a bleary eye to see sunlight peeking through the window blind hanging on his room's only window. He felt thick-headed, and ached all over from a miserable night plagued with nightmares and sick. It didn't seem possible, but through the night, he'd actually managed to discover a new way to be miserable. As horrible as it was to throw up, it was nothing compared to the absolute humiliation that he'd felt when he couldn't make a wee. Accidentally tugging the blasted catheter during a stupid dream caused renewed bleeding that created a blood clot that obstructed the tube and thus - he couldn't wee. Having a baby couldn't be that dreadful; not that he ever intended to have a baby. He wanted to crawl in a hole and die from sheer humiliation when Sally had to irrigate the thing.

To add to his frustration: the therapist whose breathing treatments seemed designed by some sadist for the sole purpose of splitting his ribs apart. Her name was Berta and she or one of her minions traipsed in every four hours disturbing what little sleep he'd managed. Then morning came, bringing with it a flurry of smiling techs all saying the same thing.

"Good morning, Mr Smith, you're looking better this morning, we just need a little blood/an x-ray/ need a ... They all needed something that inevitably caused pain.

But, now, just for this moment, things were quiet, almost peaceful. He ignored the stab of pain in his shoulder as he rolled his head over to watch Sarah knit. The rhythmic motion of the knitting needles were fascinating, and strangely brought a sense of peace. They moved like lightning, and if he focused hard enough, the shape forming brought order out of confusion.

Sarah looked content sitting next to him. He wasn't sure why, but the relaxed attitude she exuded made him feel safe from the monsters hiding in the shadows. It didn't make a lot of sense that a grown man would be afraid of monsters in the dark, but ... Thete swallowed hard as he realised how these Americans made him feel. Being alone, without memory, wasn't as scary if he pretended that they were his family. A family who genuinely cared for him, like the ones that he heard outside his room. He had a strange feeling that he hadn't felt safe, or loved for a long time.

Maybe, just maybe, he thought wistfully, they'll love me enough to help find her.

The thought brought a tiny smile. Hopefully, not enough for outsiders to see: that was critical. The monsters didn't like smiling, and most of the people on the other side of the door were still strangers making them potential monsters. Or strangers who could - possibly - be connected to the monsters that waited for him to break the rules. Part of Thete knew the thought wasn't rational. If he could just remember what the monsters looked like.

This morning, when Wilson asked what he remembered, he gave the same answers that he always gave: K'Nar and the alley. In truth, that wasn't all he remembered. He didn't tell Wilson that what he remembered most was mind-numbing fear and unending pain. And the Voice. He didn't tell anyone that, but he did hope that it was finally over. He blinked when Sarah suddenly looked over at him with devilishly wide eyes making him almost giggle.

"I can stare too, you know," she chuckled at his expression. "How are you feeling? You slept an entire thirty minutes. I think - you set a new record."

"I don't like sleeping." He still mumbled, but they could understand his words now. "I always wake up trying to figure out what I missed - whom I missed."

"Mmm. You didn't answer the question. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. My head hurts. Is Dragon Lady coming back?"

"Her name is Berta, and she is very nice. She won't be back for an hour. If you coughed better, she wouldn't torture you; you know."

"It hurts to cough. Makes my chest feel as if it will split open and my insides feel as if they're going to fall out. Ranks right up there with the sick," he whinged. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine-thirty. Abby will be in soon to give you, your medicine. You feel like talking a second?"

"You're not about to ask me what I remember, are you?" Thete answered, trying not to sound tired. "I hate it when Doctor Wilson keeps asking about a tardis. How should I know what one is."

"I know you hate it, but he has to; it's his job. We can play the star game if you want."

"No, I did that when Doctor Wilson made rounds and asked his dumb questions."

"Well then; I have another question. Do you remember the police chief - Bill Harris? He was here yesterday and tried to talk to you," she asked hopefully.

Thete looked at her blankly and shook his head. He'd spent most of the day drugged and asleep. The only thing he remembered was the sick. Her sudden nervousness about whatever she had hidden her bag peaked his curiosity. Maybe she'd snuck him in chips, or better yet, Jammie dodgers. He'd love a Jammie dodger.

"He found something under the dumpster," She hesitated. "He left it for you; to see if you would recognise it. "

"What is it?" His eyebrows knitted together. "Hank said I didn't have anything, not even shoes." He tried to peek at what she clutched in her hand.

"One of the officer's found sort of an I-phone thing tucked in a wrist band. The phone is broken, and the rain ruined any chance of finding DNA on the band, but Bill thought that you might recognise it."

Thete's curiosity fled, replaced by near hysteria as he tried to push himself up to grab the strap. "That's ... Sarah ... that's K'Nar's," he gasped against the pain from moving so fast. "Please, did he find her? Please, I won't whinge anymore, please," he begged as he began to hyper-ventilate. "Please, where is she?" He struggled.

"Honey, calm down." Sarah took a breath as she placed the band in his hand.

The room around him faded as he sniffed the thing trying to catch a whiff of her scent and then clutched it to his chest. He was in the cell again as K'Nar pushed the strap into his hands. "She gave it to me when she ... I remember her giving it to me," he said more to himself than to Sarah. "The light, she..."

"Honey, what is it?"

Thete looked at her with tears running down his cheeks. "It's a portal, I can get her back with this. Sarah, she - maybe she's - not?"

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Abby rushed in. "Mrs Munson? Thete, what's wrong?" Abby checked his oxygen clip. "His O2 sats are falling like a rock," Abby reached to adjust his oxygen. . "Thete, calm down, honey. Your heart rates just shot up to almost 200."

"It's ... they took her - snatched her - away. They screamed for her to stop and then ... I tried - I did..." Thete was oblivious to Abby. The alarms from his monitors added to the rising chaos in Thete's head.

"Thete, calm down, or I will sedate you." Abby ordered forcefully as she turn off the blaring heart monitor alarms

"Please - - give her back." He hyperventilated as Abby's voice morphed into a slow motion version of the Mistress. "I promised her, she's just a kid. Don't kill her, please..." He laid in Sarah's arms and sobbed.

Abby left and returned with a syringe. The sight of the needle sent waves of panic through him. "Please don't, I..." He struggled to get away from her and then lay motionless. "Please - - look, I'm cooperating. Don't make me see ... Please - - don't ..." He didn't get to finish the thought as Abby injected the Ativan in his line. He was asleep before he could finish.

Abby stroked his head and looked to see tears running down Sarah's face. "Bill just wanted to know if he recognised it. I didn't think he'd get this upset. Abby, he was having such a good moment, and I ruined it."

"Well, it probably would have been a better idea to ask Doctor Wilson about it, but we'll get him through it." Abby lifted the strap out of his hands. "It's weird looking, isn't it." Abby laid it on his table, made sure his oxygen was in place, checked that his oxygen monitor was properly clipped to his finger and turned his alarms back on. She patted Sarah's trembling arm. "It will be ok, Mrs. Munson."

"I wonder what he didn't want to see?" Sarah asked as she wiped tears from his face.

Abby let out a breath before she answered, "They still haven't identified the drug in his system. The pathologist called this morning and told Doctor Wilson that the best he can figure is that it's an experimental hallucinogenic. Because of his bruised kidneys, it's been really slow to clear his system. They think that it's still effecting his mental staus. It's one reason, he flips out of control so easily."

"Dear God, there really are monsters in his head," Sarah said softly.

"Yeah and he is terrified of them all. Mrs Munson," Abby looked at the older woman, "do you think, maybe - he saw them kill her?" The thought brought tears to the young nurse's eyes.

Murky faces floated around K'nar. Her frail body jerked with each blow from unseen hands. Her silent screams died before he could hear his name, but he knew she was begging for his help.

Thete jerked awake shuddering and confused. For several seconds, the only thing that he heard was blood rushing in his ears.

"Easy son," Hank brushed his hair form his eyes. "It was just a dream. It's gone now," he murmured softly.

"Hank?"

"I'm right here."

"Sarah - - did I hurt Sarah?" He tried to look around the dim room unsure of why the woman was gone.

"No, you didn't," Hank answered firmly. "You did tire her out though," he teased. "You were asleep when I sent her home."

"K'Nar's band, was it real?" he huffed as he spoke unsure if he'd dreamed that too.

"Thete, you're not crazy, son. Look at your cast, Abby strapped it there, so you wouldn't lose it."

A smile crossed Thete's tired face when he lifted his cast to see the band. He relaxed into the pillow as Hank's voice soothed him with a lullaby, something about being lost and then found. By the time the sun went down, forty-eight hours into his life as a human had passed. Fed up with being sick, and having no real memory, Thete half-wished that he had died in that alley. He didn't tell Hank.

o0o

By evening, the less hectic unit made life a bit easier. With less stress, the staff began to see glimmers of his true personality. The clearer his speech became, the more they realised that Thete was smart - extremely smart. Not only could he answer questions about astronomy, but apparently, that made him a math wizard. When he called it maths, the Americans laughed. To see just how smart, the evening supervisor went on-line, downloaded the most complicated multiplication question and gave it Hank and Annie. Their attempt to trick him failed. They all found it surprising that, despite, having just received his morphine, it took less than thirty seconds to answer the question.

"Hah," Annie laughed. "You got it wrong. The correct answer is 25,838,550."

"Get the calculator," he advised sleepily. "The correct answer is 25,838,550.64." The answer came across a bit smug.

The supervisor pulled out her drug dosage calculator and quickly chuckled. "I'll be damned. He's right; the internet site has it wrong."

Before daring a half-smile at his own success, Thete glanced at the door and observation window. When everyone looked to see what he was looking at, he muttered a quick reminder to follow the rules. He missed their frustrated expressions when they realised he still didn't trust them - at least not enough.

"You, young man need to go to sleep," Hank said when he turned back. "You can barely keep your eyes open."

"You aren't leaving, right?" Thete asked, unable to hide his concern. After his earlier incident, he wasn't sure that a lurking monster wouldn't show up to punish his transgression.

"I'm here until Nan comes in. Don't worry, I have your back." Hank reassured him. "I'm just going to walk Annie to the door."

"Guess that's my cue." She stood up and kissed his forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Seconds later Hank stood with her while they waited for the elevator. "Hank, he doesn't believe we'll protect him, does he?" Annie's voice trembled withe the question.

Hank sighed deeply before he met her questioning gaze. "Annie, he's a sweet kid. I seriously doubt that he has ever knowingly harmed a soul in his life. Like you, he had a trust in the world - that it all fits together like a math equation. That's gone. What's happened to him shattered the equation. I don't know how or even if he can ever totally trust anyone again. All we can do is teach him that we won't let anything bad happen here. I wish, they'd hurry up and find the S.O.B's who did this. Seeing them in jail would certainly speed things along."

"Hank?"

"yeah, Hon."

"What makes him so - - different?"

"Maybe," Hank said with a deep sigh, "maybe it's the fact that beat up and terrified, he still cares more about other people than he does himself. He willingly offers himself up to protect an old lady that he can't even see. How do you walk away from a person like that? I can't, I don't know why."

"Yeah, me either," she said wistfully as she glanced over her shoulder at Thete's door.

When he walked back in, Hank laughed when he found Doctor Wilson making one last attempt at tricking Thete with an obscure history question. This was the last stop of a long day for the tired doctor. "Hank, I think, I will bring my g-son in here and let Thete tutor him in social studies. The boy barely has a C in the class and Thete knows more about American History than I do." The Doctor laughed at when Thete rolled his eyes.

"How's he doing, Doc?"

"Better, We will stop his irrigation and let him have small sips of water. We're going to start a new set of meds. You; young man," he looked at Thete, "cooperate, and get some sleep," he ordered gently.

Thete half-smiled through a yawn as the man left.

Once his catheter drip was stopped, he settled back exhausted. The sound of Hank's deep voice reading Homer's _The Odyssey _out loud lulled him to a dreamless sleep. Engrossed in the classic, Hank was startled to hear Nan's voice, and looked up to see her smiling from the doorway. Her appearance meant that it was close to eleven.

"My turn, partner. I talked to Sarah, she told me about what happened this afternoon. How's he done since?" She whispered to her friend.

"I think he's a little better. Annie was by, and that perked him up. She and the supervisor tried to trick him with a question about something called a Carina Nebulae, and they gave him a math question. Doc Wilson came in and stopped his irrigation. He said, his lungs aren't quite as congested as yesterday. Doc said the dose of gamma globulin they gave yesterday has helped his immune system. He can swallow ice chips and sips of water, so they started him on his AID's preventative. They warned me that the meds mixed with his antibiotic will make him sicker, so they started him on medicine they use in chemo patients for the nausea."

Hank took a breath in a vain attempt to keep the tide anxiety and frustration at bay. Of the three, he was supposed to be the one who was calm and collected. "He still thinks someone will hit him if he breaks those rules he mutters to himself. He just clams up when I ask him what they are." Hank forced a chuckle as he stood up, snapped his book closed, and grabbed his jacket. "On a lighter note, he did prove the internet wrong. I'll be in the morning, Sarah has one of those -no men allowed- doctor appointments." He kissed his friend's cheek. "You know, Nan, this kid is a genius; why would someone hurt a geek genius?"

"I don't know, Hank, but he's with us now." When she turned back, she smiled to see two bleary eyes watching her. Nan ran her fingers through his hair, and then kissed his forehead.

"Taking to staring have you, Sarah told me about that."

"Don't want to bother. Do you really think I'm a genius?"

"Well, you're definitely smarter than me, Cowboy. How are you feeling?"

"Same, hurt everywhere, gotta headache and my stomach is queasy; same as," he answered trying to sound cheery. "Are you going to knit or read?"

"Neither: crossword puzzles." She chuckled.

"I think, I might be pretty good at crossword puzzles," he quipped.

"Right." Nan sat down, and for the next several minutes, she asked him the words for the crossword puzzle until silence came back. She glanced over to see his eyes begin to drift close with his right hand tucked up under his chin. Despite his five o'clock shadow, he looked like a kid. Hank needed to add a late afternoon shave to his job duties. At least, his breathing was better, and he wasn't as wheezy tonight.

She glanced up, surprised to see a new face coming through the door. Sally was evidently off. "Hello, I'm Nan Carson." She greeted the young nurse.

"Hi, I'm Cass," she murmured softly. "I'll be his nurse the next few nights."

Cass didn't look that much older than Thete. Her scrubs did nothing to hide her cute figure. Dark hair pulled up in a pony-tail, set off her heart-shaped face. Bangs accented a pair of stunning blue eyes. The stethoscope draped around her neck accented a slim throat and a lovely chest. When he woke up, Nan reminded herself to make sure he didn't do or say anything stupid. He might be mangled and sick, but he was still a guy.

Apparently well-informed that he was still hyper-vigilant with strangers, Nan watched as Cass moved quietly, grateful that the nurse managed her bedside checks swiftly and efficiently without waking him. She even managed to double-check his blood pressure without disturbing his sleep. He stirred at the discomfort, but relaxed when Cass stroked her fingers through his hair. Watching how easy Cass was, Nan decided that she liked her. Since the ER, she had made her dislike of rule bound, overbearing nurses well known. The day after his admission, she'd spent a good part of her morning demanding only nurses that understood his fragile state take care of him. So far, the ICU nurses were a dream.

By two, Nan had almost forgotten what Hank had said about his new meds. For the first time since his admission, he stayed asleep for longer than thirty minutes. At least for the moment, his usually restless legs were still, and his sleep looked dreamless. Shortly, after Cass started his antibiotics, she knew his peace was over. The nightmares started as they always did. First came the restless legs, as if he were trying to run from an unseen enemy. The unintelligible mumbling followed. And then, he reached to grab the invisible hand. She had just hit his call light when he called for her with sick exploding. She held his head while he emptied his stomach.

"It will be okay, Cowboy. Don't fight it, just let it come up." After she had wiped his face with a cold flannel, Nan laid a fresh one to the back of his neck. He moaned as the nurses worked to clean him and change the sheets. No sooner than they had him clean, a second round of sick erupted. Even the smallest movement produced waves of nausea, making him gag.

"Please, Nan, make them turn it off, please!"

"I wish, I could, but you know that I can't." She tried to soothe him as he rolled over to throw up again.

"Please, turn off the effin medicine - please, Nan," he begged. Unable to stop his stomach from erupting, all he could do was squeeze her hand. He struggled to remember why he was so sick, or why Nan wouldn't make it stop. He tried to make her feel guilty, but she just ran her fingers through his hair and offered sympathy as she wiped the spittle from his face.

"They've slowed it down as much as they can, Sweetheart. You need this medicine to treat your pneumonia. You will get sicker if it stops too soon and you have to swallow the pills that Doctor Wilson ordered. It's the only way you'll get well."

"Let me die then, it's okay. I'd rather be dead." He rolled over as his stomach exploded again. He groaned as laid his head back, feeling like a knife twisted in his gut. Someone stuck a needle in his bum producing a round of truly colourful words.

"Who are you?" He moaned, sounding as if someone had once again stuffed a sausage in his mouth.

"I'm Cass, remember. I have been your nurse all night. It'll take a couple of minutes, but the Phenergan will help, I promise."

"Why do you hate me? Do they pay you extra to torture me?" He whinged.

"Yep, I get an extra ten percent for everyone I make miserable." She chuckled softly while straightening his covers to make him comfortable.

"You're a bloody millionaire then." He rolled over to spit. There was nothing left to come up, but the bile that made his mouth burn. Nan let him rinse his mouth, and then he closed his eyes trying to make the world stop spinning. When he opened them again, Cass was smiling at him. Even dressed in purple scrubs, she was pretty. He would be polite; he could do that. Anyone should be able to be polite.

"Please, I will do whatever you want. I will take you out to dinner, a nice dinner with wine and everything. Maybe even a movie, too. I've got money: where do you get money?" He moaned as he threw up another round of ick again.

"I'm sorry, Thete. It will get better in a minute; the Phenergan will kick in soon." Cass changed his gown again and looked over at Nan, "He'll be okay. You know, we actually drew straws to see who'd take care of him. Everyone out there wanted to hear his accent."

"I don't think he appreciates your win." Nan chuckled softly. She knew his whole body must hurt again. "Hang on, Cowboy; the medicine will help soon." Nan stroked his head.

"Nan, take it out. Make it stop!" he cried.

"Take what out, Baby?"

"The knife in my stomach, it hurts."

Nan laid a fresh cold flannel across his eyes, and one on the back of his neck as Cass slid a towel under his chin.

"Hang in there, Thete. The shot I gave you will help, I promise."

"Nan?"

"Yes, Baby."

"When I get out of here, I am cutting down that damn tree," he said sleepily as she held his hand. She stroked his head as the Phenergan began to take hold, and he started to doze. The last thing he felt was his adopted Mum's gentle kiss on his badly bruised forehead.

o0o

Shortly after six, Hank and Sarah returned to find an exhausted Nan with her head on Thete's bed, her hand clutched in his, sound asleep. The sight brought a smile, but after throwing up most of the night, he looked sicker. The bruises on his face stood in stark contrast to his impossibly pale colour. Hank watched him grumble in his sleep, unaware that he gripped Nan's hand a bit tighter. Hank glanced at Sarah and smiled as his best friend drooled slightly in her sleep. "Kinda cute isn't she," he whispered to his wife.

"Sooner or later, we'll need to remind her that he's not Derrick," Sarah answered, "but not this morning." She sighed sadly and touched her friend's shoulder.

"Hey." Nan's head snapped up, and she focused on her two friends in front of her. She looked confused for a second when Sarah pointed to the side of her mouth and then realised she had drool. She grabbed a towel and wiped her mouth. They all held their breath as he shifted. When he didn't wake up, they all let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Let's go out," she whispered to her friends as she stretched. A second later, they stood at the Nurses' station with a fresh cup of coffee.

"Good morning." Nan finally greeted. "What are you doing here?" She looked at Sarah.

"I'm here to give you a ride home," Sarah said. "Since my appointment is early, and Hank has one this afternoon, I thought we'd get breakfast, and then you can snooze."

Nan slapped her friend's arm, "You didn't tell me about yours." She fussed at Hank.

"It's a guy thing, no big deal." Hank chuckled. "Was it as bad as Doc said it could be? Did he sleep much?"

"Well, he managed to doze a little, but after two, it all went downhill. First he woke up with a nightmare begging them to leave him alone, and then he started tossing his cookies. I think the only thing that he didn't toss up was his toenails. I haven't looked, though, they might be gone too," she quipped. "The IV antibiotic was bad enough, but those pills..." She flashed a tired smiled as she shifted to straighten up. "He cussed. I didn't think that he would know so many colourful words."

"What? You're kidding." Sarah shook her head, surprised. For the last two days, he'd constantly apologised for every frustrated comment.

Nan smiled at her best friend and nodded. "He actually got snarky with us. Not only that, but he very politely cussed us out. Used the F word, and everything. I was proud of him for that. He still apologised, though. I was hoping by now that he would feel safe enough not to worry, but I guess we're still not there, yet. There is something about being told off in a cultured British accent. Wonder what bollocks means? I pretty much figured out, bugger off, but I am not sure about bloody or bollocks."

"Who'd he tell to bugger off?" Sarah laughed.

"The lab tech who came to draw blood to check his electrolytes."

"Did he watch the door to see if the politeness Nazis were coming?" Hank asked sarcastically.

"No, he was too sick to care," Nan answered through her yawn.

"I think, I'll just go take a peek, and then we can go," Sarah hugged Nan and then went to look in on their young man. She sighed when she saw him sleeping, almost peacefully. Maybe the demons were gone, at least for awhile.


	20. Chapter 20 Once I was Lost

Cussing was an extraordinary milestone to evoke pride, but for Thete - it was just short of miraculous. Since falling into their lives, they'd watched him freeze in fear every time someone new so much as walked past his room, let alone walk in. It broke the hearts of both the staff and his newly adopted family to see such an highly intelligent young man go rigid at the sound of an unseen woman's voice coming through a loudspeaker, or apologise for every mumbled complaint of pain.

Hank lost count of the number of times Thete murmured, "please, no, I won't break the rules," when ever a strange man walked in the room. Even when asked about his beloved stars, he would check the door before answering - - just to be sure no one was watching. He would turn away before sneaking a proud smile whenever he gave a correct answer - - and his answers were always correct. Hank wasn't sure whether he was afraid of being punished for the smile or his own success. To Hank, the fact that Thete expressed even a little of his anger was brilliant news. He thought it would have taken them a lot longer to get him to stop apologising for each frustrated sigh.

Hank dropped into the recliner next to the bed relieved to see the boy still soundly asleep looking almost comfortable. Nan certainly had the touch when it came to keeping him chilled out and feeling safe. Out of all of them, she was the only one who seemed to make him feel comfortable enough to relax and let go. And on top of it, she had managed to get him to stay asleep. For the rest of them to win that battle, it was scalp massages, singing or heavy sedation. He hoped that little victory wasn't lost to the worsening nausea. But for now, the sight of him lying half on his side asleep, brought a smile to Hank's old heart.

"A little more time, and you'll be ready to take on the world, won't you, son," Hank murmured lovingly as he gently stroked the back of Thete's bruised hand. Hank's reverie broke when an obviously tired, young nurse that he didn't recognize opened door.

"Hi, you must be Hank. I'm Cass," the nurse spoke just above a whisper as she stepped in. "My last check for the night; I'll be out of here soon."

Hank smiled hello as he made a mental note to ensure Thete behaved himself when he woke up. She was almost as cute as Abby, but where Abby had curly blonde hair and green eyes, this young lady had dark hair and twinkling blue eyes. Both were enough to turn the head of any halfway healthy young man, The nurse moved to the head of his bed to a hang a new IV bag and check his sites.

Hank smiled at the young woman, "You weren't here last night."

"I was off for a couple of days, but I will be here for the next four nights."

"What are you giving him?" Hank nodded toward the IV, concerned that the fluids were now deep yellow instead of clear.

"Vitamins and electrolytes. Between the vomiting and malnutrition, he's losing vital nutrients that help his hearts and other organs function, so Doctor Wilson has ordered IV supplements. We'll be drawing labs a couple of times a day to make sure the balance is right."

"I see; I guess that stops when he can hold food down, huh?" He smiled when the girl nodded. "Did you get your picture on his wall; it does help him keep y'all straight."

"Duly photographed and posted," Cass chuckled quietly. "Actually that was a pretty good idea. Between the meds and his amnesia, he is still confused most of the time, at least at night. I talked to Nan a little about how you found him. You guys are amazing. I don't know many people who would do what you're doing."

"If your brother wound up in a foreign country, beaten half to death, and every thing taken from him, including his shoes; wouldn't you hope someone would help?"

"Yeah," she answered thoughtfully, "I guess, I would."

Thete stirred: he was dreaming again. Hank gently prevented him from rubbing his oxygen cannula out of his nose. He muttered his displeasure as Cass readjusted it, but remained asleep. Cass smoothed his covers, smiled and left with Hank wondering if the name Donna that he just heard Thete mutter was an old girlfriend or maybe even better, a relative. Every once in a while, a name would pop up in a dream, but when they asked about the person, he would just stare at them. Hank stroked his head, hoping it would calm him; it worked for the women. For just a second, he moved away from the touch, but as Hank started singing the lyrics to Amazing Grace, he turned back to the voice. His breathing eased and his eyes stopped moving under his eyelids. Hank was always surprised by the song's ability to calm Thete. Somehow the words, once I was lost, but now I'm found, seemed entirely appropriate. As he sang, Thete seemed to slip back into a peaceful sleep.

o0o

For the next hour, Hank crooned softly, watching carefully that Thete stay nightmare free. He waved to Abby at the shift change. As she made her first round, he couldn't help wonder when her day off was. One thing was for sure, when Thete was better, he would have two good looking nurses to flirt with. Maybe they should ask for Sally when he was perkier so the boy would stay out of trouble. At 7:30, he looked up to see Jack Wilson standing in the door grinning at him. Abby stood behind the Doctor with Thete's chart in hand.

"Think we can clone Hank for the lady next door?" She teased.

"He could make a CD of Hank's Melodies for the Restless," Wilson teased back, "he could make a fortune." Wilson chuckled at Hank's sheepish expression.

"How did he do during the night, Abby?"

"Cass said his nightmares were worse as the nausea increased. He was a bit cranky with them. He hates his breathing treatments. His sats are holding between 92 and 94 percent. His blood chemistries from this morning aren't back yet. Bless him, he finally fell asleep about six."

"Hate to wake him up, but ..."

Wilson smiled at Hank as he shook Thete gently, "Come on son, I need you to wake up for a minute," Wilson urged.

"No, go away, leave me alone."

"Abby says that you had a lousy night. What do you say?"

"I'd say, I've had better, but I can't bloody remember," Thete grumbled as he opened his bleary, bloodshot eyes.

"Well, at least you can open both eyes," Wilson chuckled. "So tell me, how's your memory this morning?" he asked while he checked Thete's cast.

"Here's the thing: I remember clearly waking up to Hank singing. It was nice. I liked it. You interrupted!" he snapped at the doctor.

"Thete, boy, how long have you played possum on me?" Hank asked.

"One hour, twelve minutes and twenty-two seconds, give or take the whole seconds thing," he answered quietly. "You sing nice," he said as he glanced up at Hank with a sleepy smile.

"You sneaky fella." Hank chuckled. He was more than a little surprised at how well the kid fooled him.

"It seems our boy is thinking this morning." Wilson winked at Hank. "Thete, I'm glad you are awake enough to be in a mood, but I need you to answer me."

"I don't remember anything new, honestly. I do not know where I come from, or who I am, or what a tardis is. I wish I did; I don't, can we drop it now?" he snapped. "I don't want to think about it anymore, it just makes my head hurt."

Wilson kept his voice even but pushed a little. "Thete I know this is frustrating, but I have to ask. Can you remember more about moron?"

"No - - I don't. Please, I don't want to think about it," Thete snapped as he turned away.

"Okay, if you're not keen on that, how about this question? Kathy looked this one up." Wilson tried to deflect him from getting upset. "What's the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy?"

Thete snorted, "It's a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way, 70 000 light years from Earth. It's made up of four clusters. You want the whole lecture, 'cos, like I said," Thete turn to glare at the doctor as he clinched and unclenched his right hand. "I kind of gotta a headache."

"No, I think that's fine for now; try to rest a bit." He ignored Thete jerking away as he patted his shoulder. "I'm going to borrow Hank for a minute, and then you can get back to your concert. I need to look up the rest of the information on that galaxy, so I know if you're just handing me a load of hooey." Wilson chuckled then beckoned Hank to follow him outside.

o0o

"Boy, he's in a mood this morning, ain't he," Hank snorted once they were at the nurses' station.

Wilson turned to Hank and the unit's manager, Kathy Midland. "He'll have mood swings like that. Part of it is from his head injury, and sadly, part is the remaining effects of whatever drug they pumped into him.

"Doc, why hasn't that cleared? It's been days."

"I don't know, it's some sort of designer drug. His reaction to the sight of a syringe is enough to tell us, he didn't willingly belly up to the bar. Anyway, you add in his frustration with his situation, you get testy. I'm amazed he doesn't throw things across the room. Ignore his mood swings. Change the subject, take a break; just don't let it worry you. But - - that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What's up, Doc?"

"I just got off the phone with Chief Harris. He got a call from the State Police detective handling the investigation."

"What did he say?" Hank felt his stomach twist into an anxious knot.

"They found something on the CCTV at the I-86 Truckstop. On the very edge of the camera's view, the tape shows two people jumping out of the back of a 18-wheeler the afternoon before the storm hit. They couldn't make any kind of I.D., but one was a kid and the other was an adult male who looked injured. Of course, the damn storm washed away any sign of where the two went, but the detective thinks that K'Nar might have tried to find her way to a town to find help. His working theory is that she tried to hide him, only to have their captors find her. When she didn't come back, Thete went looking for her and a couple of our local county boys jumped him. He thinks they assaulted Thete and left him for dead. It seems, they have a record for that kind of violent assault. They've hauled them in for questioning and will hold them until DNA rules them in or out."

"That's ... one hell of a scenario," Hank growled, "what will they do to them if their DNA matches?"

"If it's them; Bill says they'll never see daylight again. But it still doesn't help find the people who tortured him."

"What else did he find out, Doc?" Kathy asked. "You have that, cat ate the canary look."

Wilson let out a breathy chuckle, "Bill finally heard from the Consulate in Chicago. They had a BOLO from an agency in Britain concerning a missing person. They forwarded the info that Bill sent them and the I.D. came back positive. We know," he said, with a grin, "who Thete is."

Kathy and Hank both straightened at the comment. "You're not going to tell us he's a crook are you?" Kathy said with a note of worry in her voice. "My staff really likes him. They'd be very disappointed if he turns out that he's some sort of geeky criminal."

"No," Wilson chuckled. "According to the Consulate, he is one of Britain's top young astrophysicists - which explains why he knows so much about the stars. His security clearance is just below people like the President."

Wilson took a deep breath before continuing. "Four weeks ago, he disappeared from Eastern Europe. According to the Consulate, terrorists kidnapped him from a research tour. They searched all over Europe and the Middle East. Five days ago they took the search world-wide. They have no idea why, as Bill put it, the S.O.B's dumped him here."

"What about his sister?" Kathy asked

"That's the real kicker," Wilson replied. He doesn't have a sister. From what the Consulate told Bill, he doesn't have any family."

"Well then, who the hell is she?" Hank leaned against the desk clearly shocked.

"They have no clue. They have no reports of a missing child fitting her description, or her name."

"He couldn't have made her up, he gets to upset. Oh my God," Kathy straightened. "you don't think he's some sort of a -" Kathy interjected.

"There is no way." Hank cut her off before she could finish the idea that she was obviously about to express.

"I agree with Hank," Wilson added. "I think the State boys may have a working scenario for his rape, but she could be a runaway or," he mused, "another victim of his captors. Whoever she is, he adored her and losing her has devastated him."

"What are you going to tell him?" Kathy asked quietly.

"Nothing yet, let's see if we can get him stronger today before we tell him anything. But, I can tell you this-get ready folks, I think we can expect an invasion from - just about everybody."

o0o

Hank stood outside Thete's closed door for a long moment. He was almost giddy. They had a name. An actual name. He actually was Johnathon Theta Smith and he was a brilliantly educated, documented genius. And ... he was alone. Hank had so hoped the names Thete called out in his sleep belonged to a family. He sent a silent prayer to God that Thete at least had friends out there. He placed his hand on the doorknob, drew a breath through his nose to steel himself against the anxious look that he knew would be in Thete's eyes.

"Hank?" Thete smiled anxiously when Hank walk back in.

"What, Son?" Hank answered non-chalantly as he sat down.

"Is everything okay? I'm not in trouble, am I?" His eyebrows knitted together as he cast a worried at the door.

"No. Why on Earth would you think you're in trouble?" Hank reassured him.

"Cos, you know, I wasn't ni -"

God, please help me, help him, Hank silently prayed. "Because you used bad language earlier and you were kind of, you know, snotty to Doc?" Hank chuckled.

Thete just nodded.

"Thete, there is nothing wrong with getting angry. If ever a human being had the right to be angry, it's you. There's nothing wrong with showing it, or even expressing it by cussing a little now and then. Just - not to the women," Hank quickly added. "Doc Wilson is actually glad you sound a bit cranky. It means you're awake, and you're thinking."

"It doesn't cha..." He closed his eyes for a second trying to push useless anger back. "I don't want to think, Hank. It hurts too much to think. Just tell them to stop asking what I remember. I don't remember anything but you, Nan, Sarah and Annie. I remember here, and for now... it's enough," he swallowed thickly, "and I don't want to talk about K'Nar anymore. She's gone, so - don't... Please, just - don't."

"Okay, Son. I'll tell them; go back to sleep," Hank answered gently, trying to keep his own tears at bay. For the first time, Hank believed Thete was right about K'Nar. Whatever had happened for him to wind up in Kentucky, it was more likely than not that the girl was dead. How could they tell him that there was no hope in finding the mysterious child? Maybe it would be kinder to let the amnesia swallow him whole; to let the memories of his horror fade away so that he could start life all over. He stroked Thete's head and began crooning _Amazing Grace_ again.

o0o

"Harkness, you don't have a clue how to pick a proper pizza, you need triple cheese with meat layered in between the layers of cheese," River snatched the pizza box from Jack's hands.

"STOP!"

Heads snapped around to see Amy standing on the couch, swinging a cricket bat. "I can't take it anymore! You're worse than two bloody seven-year-olds!" she yelled at River and Jack. The two had spent the morning bickering - over everything. Her head hurt from listening to the two sound like siblings while they argued over such important things as how to tweak a few timelines without wrecking the universe to pepperoni versus sausage on Dominic's pizzas. Amy just couldn't take anymore. The only person that she'd ever met that came close to being as stubborn as these two was her best friend Mels and she could argue the Parliament under the table.

"Amy, um - where did you get a bat?" Rory asked softly as he sidled up sideways to snatch it.

"Back off, Rory, before I add you to my list," Amy's angry green eyes flashed as she waved the bat in her husband's direction

"What list would that be?" Jack asked, chuckling at the sight of the petite redhead teetering on the worn couch.

"The list of whom to whack first for incredibly bad behaviour. We have been forced to listen you two bicker and argue over everything for two days. What's wrong with you? Grow up! Both of you! Demons Run was easier to deal with than the pair of you. It's not like there isn't enough to stress over. Jack, go - bag an alien or rewrite the treaty. River, if you can't figure who is messing with us; go - shopping!"

The two stared at her with perfect, what did we do expressions, as everyone else jumped up clapping.

Jack grinned. "You know - getting chased by you might just be a lot of fun," he cocked his head and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Getting caught would be better, but can I get my beat down with scented oils added?"

"Oi, Harkness, that's my wife," Rory protested with a grin.

Amy glared at both of them. "I will use this thing on you too, you know."

Amy shot a look at River who was laughing at the sight of Amy teetering on the couch. Amy's head snapped her head toward her daughter, and with no idea that she was doing it, she flashed her daughter a well practised Mum look; a look that River knew well. Amy had no idea that she'd flashed the look at her daughter several times a day as she and Mels grew up together. But having River laugh now made her want to swing the bat at her head.

"River!" she warned.

"I'm sorry, but ..." She nearly called Amy mother, but broke into a fit of giggles instead. "If you could see yourself." River collapsed in a chair.

Gwen quickly copied the laugh which spread until they all collapsed into chairs. "Oh, what's the point," Amy muttered dryly as she rolled her eyes and then join in. Their laughter grew louder when Rhys walked in carrying two six-packs of ale, wearing a confused expression at the sight of four adults all but rolling in the floor laughing at a redhead still swinging at a cricket bat. It was several minutes before they managed to restore peace and plop down to eat their pizza.

An hour later, with the help of ale and pizza, the group's tension eased considerably. The first thing Amy noticed was Jack's shoulders. They no longer were hunched up around his ears. River had stopped twisting her hair, and the bickering between the two turned more to a light form of teasing than arguing. If she didn't know better, she'd still swear they were more like brother and sister than two people who'd just met a few days ago. When she told Rory, he just smiled at the idea.

Despite a less hostile atmosphere, progress on the worm remained agonisingly slow. Finding a way around it quickly evolved into an obsession for both River and Ianto. As the hours passed, each failure garnered the Doctor several new names, the nicest of which was twit. Jack's frustration with the lack of progress had him ready to jump out of his skin. He needed a diversion and the universe was kind enough to hand him one.

At midnight, the rift monitor went off, indicating something falling through that begged investigating, and Jack found a willing a partner in Rory. The two disappeared up the lift. Once they were gone, Ianto and River rose from the desk and clapped with relief. They understood Jack's frustration, but his constant hovering was driving them crazy. Ten minutes after the two men left, their latest failure stared at them from the screen.

"Agh!" River yelled as she pushed back from the computer and looked at Ianto. "Don't you just love his ingenuity. I'm sure he was quite smug when he invented this thing."

"I'm sure, ma'am," Ianto remained expressionless, but his eyes twinkled.

"I need a break," River stood up and stretched. "This mess is giving me a headache."

"Jack says you like to break things. Please, don't break my computer," Ianto joked.

"I'll break something of his, but it won't be a computer," River retorted with a grin. A minute later, she shook a sleeping Amy awake. "We're taking a break, want to come with me while I check on him?"

"Yes." Amy jumped up to join her daughter. "Tell Rory that we'll be right back," She yelled at Ianto as the crackle of the vortex swallowed them.

o0o

The transient field distortion went unnoticed as the vortex opened, delivering Amy and River to a spot next to the TARDIS. River unlocked the ship, and they both stepped in to find her quietly scanning the area and pleasantly humming. River checked to make sure that no government agents were hanging around before they headed to the hospital. They had arrived in the evening making it even easier to go unnoticed, as the headed for the unit to wait for the door opened.

"Ready, Mother," River whispered softly.

Amy nodded, and they followed a lab Tech through the doors to a quiet, less chaotic unit.

Their perception filters worked to perfection as they walked past the monitor tech quietly charting printouts. The two women stood at the observation window hoping to catch a glimpse of their Time Lord. The open door to his room made hearing the soft, feminine voice reading to him much easier. Amy reached for River's hand as they saw a young woman on the side of his bed with her feet propped up in a recliner. A pang of jealousy struck at the sight of the young, cute, woman holding his hand.

Amy knew it was stupid, but couldn't help feeling that either her or River, not some stranger should have that job. She chided herself. She should be relieved that he was quiet and seemingly comfortable, not stupidly jealous. In fact, she was, even though they still couldn't see his face. Amy chuckled softly when she realised the girl was reading one of his favourite books:_ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince._ Her smile faded as silent tears started at the realisation that when she woke up under Kovarian's control, despite her absolute terror, she knew that he and Rory would come to get her.

"We're coming back, Raggedy Man," she whispered. When she glanced at River, her heart broke at what she saw. River stood silent, her hand pressed against the window with her fingers spread in a vain attempt to reach him. Amy tugged on her jumper and nodded toward the door.

"Maybe K'Nar didn't completely wipe his memory," she said when they were back outside. "Maybe, when we get here 'officially', he'll recognise us - at least a little.

"Yeah, right." River answered sounding uncharacteristically hesitant. "She is just a child isn't she?" "How talented could she be?"


	21. Chapter 21 The Brits Are Coming

"Fifty-three hours and counting, Ianto Jones," Jack's voice bounced off the concrete walls of the Hub. "Where the hell is that patch?!"

He'd spent the last four hours crashing around the place like a trapped bear. The repeated failures to get around the worm had everyone's nerves on edge. It didn't help that someone from Whitehall started sniffing around wanting to know when Torchwood had hired a new associate and then lost said associate. Jack blamed himself for that near disaster. He'd pushed to hard for information after they failed to hear back on the first BOLO. The low level investigator from MI6 was easy to retcon, but Jack should never have made the mistake.

"Would my stopwatch help you keep track of the time more precisely, Jack?" Ianto flashed a cheeky smile at River. The two had worked almost nonstop since their break to write and re-write a computer programme that could back door the Doctor's worm. They were getting close and neither had the energy to deal with Jack's frustration.

"Very funny, Yan." Jack came around the bank of computers and pinched Ianto's backside hard enough to make the young Welshman jump. "Upload this one," he teased.

"Yes, oh mighty one." Ianto had given up his three-piece suit for snug trousers, a pin-striped Oxford shirt and his waistcoat. "I'll upload something for you all right," Ianto answered with a wink as he slid the thumb drive into the computer's USB port and hit enter. A moment later, their latest effort down-loaded and installed, River sent the request for information to the Consulates and updated the BOLO. A few minutes later, an email from the Chicago Consulate stared at them from the screen.

Individual matching description in BOLO reported found by police in Elizabeth, Kentucky. Please note attachments. Police have requested information concerning family. Consulate has requested police provide protection for Mr Smith until you arrive. Please advise.

They stared at the screen in stunned silence. The patch worked; it actually worked. They'd actually beaten the Doctor's own programming. It would have been so much easier if he hadn't hard-wired the mess into the TARDIS. Now, River knew why the old girl was humming. She had done her best to help them by not interfering.

Broad grins spread across the trio's faces as they turned to look at each other. "I'll be damned," Jack stammered. "You actually did it." He smacked Ianto on the back and turned to grab the phone, This was one call to the Prime Minister that he would enjoy making. This time he wasn't calling to yell about resources on incident reports. This time, finally, he could notify them Torchwood was taking a little trip - across the pond. They could retrieve their Time Lord without worrying that anyone one either side would suspect that he was anything other than Torchwood's missing young scientist. Jack hung up the phone, clapped his hands together and did something he hadn't since leaving the Hub five days ago. He flashed a huge cheeky, grin, grabbed Ianto's face in his hands and snogged him ... properly.

"Get Martha in here," he said when he let go, leaving Ianto breathless and dazed. "I want everything and everyone ready to leave as soon as I get back with the packet."

"Yes Sir," Ianto squeaked. "May I assume that I will be staying behind with Gwen?"

"No, Cariad, you may not. River: find Amy and Rory!" Jack yelled as headed for the lift.

"Fifty-five hours and counting, Ianto. Hey, where is everyone?" Jack hollered as he walked back into an empty tactical room, surprised to find everyone gone. "Ianto, where are you?" he yelled again before using the overhead comm system.

"I don't think yelling is at all helpful, sir." Ianto fussed as he came up from the storage room with an alien artifact in his hand. "What do I classify this thing as? It looks like brass knuckles. It couldn't be that simple?"

"It's a medical device. When you are in the field, you slip it over your knuckles, press it against someone, and just hit a button to deliver a drug." Jack crossed his arms. "Be careful, you might accidentally knock yourself on your arse," he chuckled. "Where are our fellow travellers?"

"They are out on the Plass, wishing that you would stop yelling the hours followed by and counting." Ianto grinned. "IT is getting - annoying, Cariad." He smirked and then laughed at the look on Jack's face. "They went for a walk while they waited for you to get back."

"Mmm, well, it has been fifty-five hours since we got home, you know. I'm just keeping track of the time 'till we actually leave. At least, I'm not counting off the seconds like a certain fan of stopwatches that I know ... intimately. Besides." He cocked his head cheekily. "I've got it." Jack waved a thick envelope containing the official report and clearance from the Prime Minister's office. "We are good to go. Everybody needs to get in here and grab their gear."

"Their coming through the front door." Ianto grinned as the tourist's office warning buzzer sounded. He pointed to the CCTV showing four people entering the ratty little tourist office.

"About time, helluva a time to take a walk anyway. Notify Gwen and Rhys that we are leaving. I want to be at the airport in thirty."

"Absolutely, sir."

"Drop the sir!" Jack yelled as he headed to his office with a huge grin on his face.

o0o

Promptly at 11:30 GMT, Torchwood's Gulfstream G550 lifted off from the private airport into the clear morning sky, banked to the left and flew over Wales. Within minutes, they were out over the North Atlantic Ocean. Once the seat belt light went out, Amy and Rory unbuckled and started to explore the craft. The luxurious cabin seemed huge; designed to seat fourteen passengers comfortably. Its seats were more like recliners than plane seats. Each one could fold out into a bed. Wood grain trim ran along the walls. Towards the back of the cabin was an office area, outfitted with a flat screen TV and a computer. The desks looked as if they belonged in the office of a financier on Wall Street. The galley was nicer than the kitchen in their first flat. At the very back was a mini medical unit. They both stared at Jack in disbelief.

"Just how much money does Torchwood have, Jack?" Amy asked as she turned in the aisle. "'Cos, you really need to upgrade your living situation."

"I have everything I need, thanks," he answered with a snort. "This plane is strictly for business."

"So ... you're not some kind secret mogul or something?" Rory asked.

Jack just chuckled at the idea. "I own the clothes on my back, and a rather nifty sports car that I keep hidden. Little red number. Someday, I'll take you for a spin."

"What kind?" Rory's face lit up.

"It's a classic: 1969 red Lotus Elan convertible," Jack answered with a broad grin. "It's fully restored to mint condition. I did all the work myself. I," he said, "won awards at the Stamford car show last year and placed fifth at the Snowden Car Rally. I even belong to the Berwick Motor Club."

"It's his bloody child," Ianto said contemptuously. "On his days off, he visits it and gives it special baths.

"Hey, I don't laugh at your hobby; collecting stopwatches isn't it?" Jack shivered slightly and then laughed at Ianto who hadn't missed the shadow that flitted across Jack's face.

"I want a Lamborghini, a red Lamborghini," Rory said wistfully. "it's my favourite car."

For the next hour, Rory and Jack discussed the benefits of each type of sports car while the women and Ianto shook their heads in wonder. They started their own discussion; sharing adventures with the Doctor. Amy was awed by Martha telling of her first adventure. The two laughed over meeting Shakespeare and Churchhill. Comparing notes was easier than thinking about anything else going wrong. So much had gone wrong since this nightmare started. Every time they thought they had him, fate snatched him away.

Exhaustion played havoc with their nerves contributing to their fear of failure. It required a great deal of control to keep visions of NaV0 and her damnable compound from invading their heads and their dreams. They all tried to stay focused on the success of this trip and the end of this nightmare.

They just needed to let a backwater hospital know they were coming. Two hours into the flight, Jack made the call to Kentucky. At exactly 8:30 AM EDT, a young woman answered, sounding bored, and slightly mid-western; instead of the southern accent expected of someone in rural Kentucky.

"Good morning, Elizabeth Memorial Hospital; how may I direct your call?"

"Yes, I need to speak to - Ianto -what's the name?"

"Doctor Jack Wilson, sir." Ianto emphasized the sir with a quirky grin.

"Would you drop the sir?" He mouthed to Ianto, "Sorry - yes, I need to speak to Doctor Jack Wilson. I'm Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood of Cardiff, Wales."

"I'm sorry, but Doctor Wilson is making rounds, and unless this is a medical emergency, I can't interrupt," the young woman responded firmly.

"Excuse me, but I need to speak either to him or the administrator of your hospital."

"That sir, would be Mr Elliot Kincaid. He'll be here in about twenty minutes. I suggest you call back then, but I'm not bothering Doctor Wilson while he is making rounds."

"Look, Miss, I really need to speak to Doctor Wilson; it's a medical emergency."

"Then sir, unless you're calling from a Doctor's office, I suggest you call 911."

"Well, since I'm on a plane, flying over the Atlantic Ocean that, just might be - a little hard. I need to speak to Doctor Wilson, concerning Jonathon Theta Smith - please." Jack tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice hoping for seductively sweet, but his face grew warm with frustration. The man who regularly updated Prime Ministers on alien incursions now found himself in a phone war with a receptionist. He glared at River who couldn't help chuckling. The glare changed to a scowl when Amy snapped his picture.

Amy poked River. "It's for my album. Title: The Man Who Fights Aliens."

"I want copies. Look how red his face is getting." River laughed.

Jack stuck his tongue out at them as he dealt with the voice on the other end. "Look," he said almost seductively, "I have clearance from the President - your president. Please, let me talk to Doctor Wilson ... now."

"Actually, I'm a Republican; I didn't vote for the man, and if I get yelled ..." she warned before putting the call through to ICU, telling the unit secretary not to blame her.

"Hello, this is Doctor Jack Wilson. Who is this?" Wilson snapped when he answered the phone.

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness, Doctor. I am from Torchwood in Britain. According to the Consulate in Chicago, you are treating a friend of mine, Jonathon Theta Smith. He's a skinny git, twenty-six, about five feet-eleven with green eyes and floppy brown hair. Can you tell me how he is, please."

"If you're from Britain, why do you sound American?" Wilson asked suspiciously.

What is it with these people? Jack thought. "I am a British citizen, sir. Please, can you help me, is John alright?"

"What are an ice-lolly, and a cuppa?" Wilson asked.

"Excuse me?" Jack's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"If you're British, what are an ice-lolly and a cuppa?"

"It's a Popsicle, and a cup of hot tea; is this some sort of test?" Just how backwater was this place, .Jack thought. It was getting harder to keep the frustration from his voice.

"Yes and no - could you hold on ..." Wilson lowered the phone to look at Kathy. "an ice-lolly is a Popsicle. Who knew, huh; the cuppa is a cup of tea. Thete can have lukewarm tea, and he can have a lime Popsicle." He grinned at the nurse manager.

"Doctor, are you there?" Jack called.

Wilson looked at the phone and grimaced. "Sorry, What can I tell you?"

"I'd like a report on his condition - please."

"He's stable," Wilson answered sounding a bit short.

"And?" Jack was getting more than frustrated.

"Captain ..."

"Harkness," Jack answered.

"Captain Harkness, you are a voice on the other end of a phone. I am not discussing the particulars of my patient with you. He is stable."

"Doctor, you knew that we would be calling. I have clearance from Homeland Security and the White House."

"Captain, I don't care who you have clearances from. You are not here. Until you can prove to me who you are and that you do know my patient, I'm not jeopardizing his safety. If you are who you say you are you would understand that. I'm sorry if - shit ... Kathy, stop them!" Wilson dropped the phone as two State Troopers headed into Thete's room.

"Damn it!" Jack yelled at the now dead phone as he sent the thing flying across the plane. He glared at everyone, daring them to speak.

o0o

Thete started his morning nauseous and in pain. That was nothing new, but it was tiresome. His shoulder ached all the way into his fingertips with every muscle aching from the strain of being sick. It felt like forever since he's smelled fresh air. It didn't matter that he'd been in the middle of a rain storm and that he'd just lost everything. At least he'd been outside. he looked around the small hospital room and realised; he was - bored.

Abby popped through the door with a smile on her face and two syringes in her hand. Although, he no longer panicked at the sight, he still didn't like them, but some how Abby made accepting getting his bum stuck easier. Her smile brightened the room every time she came in, and he was quite sure she only smiled like that for him. She helped him sit up to listen to his chest. She said something about a slightly higher dose of Morphine this morning. He hated that; the drug left him sleepy and left him feeling tired. On the other hand, when it kicked in, he was just a bit high. Frankly, that wasn't so bad, especially since the knife stopped twisting in his stomach, and the deep ache in every cell of his body, eased.

Once the meds started to have an effect, Abby took the shoulder brace off and gently began exercising his arm. He swallowed the moan that wanted to escape. He wouldn't do that in front of Abby if he could help it; not any more. In fact, he fully intended to stop groaning. He didn't remember much, but he was pretty sure that groaning with every move was not how to impress a woman. He was sure there was a rule about that somewhere. So, when she helped him lie back, he just grinned. At that moment, Thete decided to reach for her hand.

"Are you married, Abby?" The question came out a bit slurred as he examined her ring finger. He'd almost forgotten Hank was there, and missed the shared look the two had as they swallowed their laughter.

"Are you asking?" She winked at Hank as she stroked her fingers through Thete's hair.

"You have great hands," he answered as she withdrew her hand and refitted his brace. "So - are you?" He noticed that she moved around his bed checking his IV line and monitor much like a dancer would move around the dance floor.

"No - I'm not, goof. Go to sleep," she ordered gently as she winked at Hank one more time before she left.

"I can't believe you did that." Hank chuckled when she was gone.

"She fancies me." Thete giggled as he grinned at Hank.

"Right, just remember that when she makes you cough and all the other stuff that you don't like. Just tell yourself: she fancies me." Hank tried not to laugh outright. "I need to stretch; I will be back in six minutes."

Thete giggled - - again. That was wrong, and he knew it, but weird thoughts just kept bubbling up. He could have sworn the pictures on his wall moved. For some reason, the Mystic Mountain wanted to expand and contract - on his wall. Wilson's early morning attempt to stump him came to mind. He loved the Stump Thete game. Since starting, the score was 12-0, he had the 12. This morning's question; what is a globular cluster? It wasn't, he told Doctor Wilson, globs of pudding. Despite feeling miserable, he lectured them on the concept for five full minutes. Knowing the answers, lifted some of the fog from his brain. It felt great to know things that no one else seemed to know.

Still, he didn't know anything about him. And that left him frustrated and angry. His job, family, friends, or even a religion remained a complete mystery. What was that he? Who was he? Hank guessed his career as a scientist, or a maths professor. Hank called it math which seemed odd, and it didn't make sense. He was sure he was too young to be an actual professor, Who'd listen to him. Besides, why someone would want to beat the crap out of a professor. For no reason, he giggled again. Now that, he was more awake, he realised morphine left him feeling - pissed, and he kind of liked it.

"You ready to do some work for me?" A woman's southern, gravelly voice interrupted his drug induced reverie immediately bringing the giggling to a stop. Thete frowned at its source. The pudgy black woman was in her forties, with hands like a man. She was nothing like Abby, Cass or even Kathy. They were all kind, petite and ... shapely. Very shapely. She was tall, and ... thick. Berta smiled at him from his wall and now from the door. He really didn't like her.

"I've already coughed, Miss Berta - really. You can ask Abby."

"I'm sure you did." She smiled at his accent when he spoke. Even medicated, his British accent, was becoming clearer almost by the hour. "But, it doesn't get you out of your breathing treatments." She laughed as he pulled a face. "Come on, sit up and let me listen." She ordered as she helped him pull up. "You are still too congested." She fussed when she finished and handed him his nebulizer; I'll be back in ten. Cough that junk up and I don't mean saliva. We need another culture. Don't cheat."

"He won't." Hank walked in behind her and plopped down with, what Thete was sure was his, twentieth cup of coffee, and it was barely nine.

Exactly ten minutes later, Berta was back, insisting that he needed to cough deeper and bring up the junk in his chest. Hank held a pillow to his chest and encouraged him. Like always, the effort left him groaning from the feeling that his chest would split apart, and his insides would fall out. He stuck his tongue at her back as she left.

"I saw that, Thete." She laughed as she closed the door. Thete added her annoying laugh to his reasons for not liking her.

"Dragon lady." Thete muttered as he leaned back, hurting again. That's what she was; a dragon lady. At least the morphine made it easier to doze after Dragon Lady's torture session.

He'd slept for over an hour when a gentle cough from Hank woke him up. Hank was standing up and stretching.

"I'll be right back, son; behave okay?." He smiled gently.

"Where you going, now?" Thete tried not to sound whiny, but it seemed Hank was restless this morning, and that worried him.

"What you so nicely refer to as the loo." Hank smiled. "I kinda like that term, sounds classy."

"You drink too much coffee," Thete fussed, "you need tea, nice cuppa chamomile. Calm those nerves right down."

"I will add it to my bucket list," Hank chuckled softly, "just behave while I'm gone." Hank leaned over and kissed the top of Thete's head.

Thete watched the only man he trusted, walk out the door with an empty coffee cup. Hank remained the only man who didn't send him rigid with fear. The very thought of being touched by any man including his doctor still sent waves of blind panic through him, but he couldn't remember why. But not from Hank.

Hank was ... Hank was dad.

o0o

Once outside, Hank leaned against the wall. Worry twisted his gut. A psychiatrist recommended that Thete's new therapy include getting him used to staying alone for short periods to boost his self-confidence In his heart, he knew Thete wasn't ready to spend more than five minutes alone. He still jumped when he heard strange noises or an unexpected voice. He'd nearly jumped off the bed in terror at the sound of a dropped supper tray last night. But, Nan did say that he'd slept better, and this morning, he did seem brighter. He'd even started asking questions about himself. Who was he? What was he? Did he have a family? Were they looking for him? Hank struggled not to answer.

But leaving him every couple of hours seemed downright silly and felt wrong. Like they were pushing him too fast. Wilson insisted. Hank disagreed, but - well the Doc was the one who should know. He had to admit that the first session after Wilson's rounds went alright. They'd left him alone just over six minutes. Thete started becoming restless at five, but other than complain, he was fine.

Now he was supposed to leave him for twelve minutes; just long enough to ride the elevator up and down. Hank swallowed, and then, right or wrong, he made a decision. If the boy was strong enough to be left alone, then surely he was strong enough for the truth. With a plan set, Hank grabbed a coffee, and went for an elevator ride. When he came back, he'd tell him. He would tell Thete what they found out about his life.

o0o

American television was ... boring. As Thete switched through the available stations, he decided it was unimaginative, uninteresting and boring. Ooh, he giggled again, that made two u's and a b. The letters were thus far, the most interesting thing about the shows that were on. Television, the TV, telly, even the synonyms were boring. How did anyone watch this stuff? He hit the button again and watched as three woman with excessive amounts of exposed body fat were arguing over some man. Evidently, he'd sired their children. Switching channels again, he found a Judge telling off a woman for loaning her boyfriend money for a car. Apparently, it wasted the court's time to whinge about not getting her money back. Thete decided to remember not to ask women for money to buy a car. He wondered if he even knew how to drive.

He switched channels and found another lady Judge grilling a man about being assaulted by his girlfriend's family. His last attempt produced_ Sponge Bob Square Pants._ He gave up. In the back of his mind, he had a niggling feeling that even watching television was wrong and worried that someone would notice that he had giggled.

At least, morphine or not, he'd managed to stay awake long enough to watch the idiot box this morning. That was something that he hadn't done since arriving in hospital. He stared at the remote control, wondering how many ways he could improve it, if he just had a screw driver. He began playing with the buttons, making his head go up and down. Then, he switched to raising his feet up and down. He giggled again as he raised his knees until he felt like W. He wondered how he could switch wires and create a massage mode. A hospital bed should have a massage mode; in fact it needed a massage moment. He'd have to make it a gentle setting, though. His body was too sore for more than a very gentle setting. Still, it would be fun; if he just had a screwdriver.

He was almost comfortably upright when he saw them. The room faded away as two men in grey uniforms came toward him - to punish him. He wasn't aware of the remote control falling out of his hand. His vision narrowed to just the doorway and the men. He'd giggled, and now they were back. He tried to understand how they could have heard him; he's made sure to stay very quiet. Blood pounded in his ears as his hearts raced; his stomach twisted into knots. Hank promised that no one cared if he giggled or got mad, but he had and now they were coming ... here.

Why were they coming to his cell?

Maybe, just maybe - - if he closed his eyes tight, they would go to a different cell this time. Not his cell. Please, not his cell.

When he looked again, they were almost to his door. As they walked, they rested their hands on guns, and ... they laughed - at him. He was sure his head would explode. He couldn't feel his body any more. The first rush of fear was now abject terror, driving out all rational thought. He was alone, without his protector and then he realised the horrible truth. His enemy had him trapped. Visions of hands and feet hitting and kicking Hank filled his head. Somewhere, voices called out as alarms sounded. The enemy had managed to get past the safeguards and were coming for him.

He couldn't remember who they were or where they would take him, but he wasn't going without a fight. He had to have a weapon of some kind to defend himself. They had guns and boots; he had an emesis basin and a pitcher of ice. As the first officer stepped through the door, the only weapons that he could find sailed toward his enemies. His screams filled the unit as nurses pushed past the startled officers.

"No ... No - no more!" Thete screamed as he back-pedalled off the bed away from his attackers. He couldn't get his feet under him enough to escape over the headboard. Within seconds, the enemy had him surrounded; pinning him to the bed. Their hands were all over him, holding him down. He wasn't aware that Kathy had pushed the officers out, or that it was her nurses that were trying to keep him safe. He yanked at everything impeding his escape. Every vile name tucked away in his brain came out in English and Gallifreyan as he screamed first that they'd murdered K'Nar, and now they had killed Hank.

A woman's voice kept telling him to calm down; that he was safe and that Hank was safe. That was a lie; they weren't safe, but he would be. No one was going to hurt him again, not without a fight. Pain shot through his shoulder as his cast connected with something. Someone yelped, encouraging him to fight harder. He managed to kick at least one moron off in his struggle to get away. He immediately tried to sink his teeth into the meaty flesh of an arm that came near his mouth. His chest was on fire as he tried to reach to bite a second target. Someone grabbed his head to stop him, fuelling the need to fight harder before they made him do something vile again. If they were taking him back, he'd taste their blood before they took his.

Colourful profanity mixed with screams threatening to kill anyone who hurt Hank echoed through the unit as Abby ran to get his Ativan. They had all worked so hard to gain his trust; to keep a repeat of the ER from happening and now that was over. Barely able to control her tears, she cursed the people who had done this and hoped they all rotted in hell.

Hank heard Thete's screams before the elevator doors even had time to slide open. That same strange language mixed with English carried from the unit out to the hallway. He tossed his coffee cup, not caring that he didn't hit the nearby bin. He was gone eleven minutes, what could have gone wrong in eleven minutes? Hank burst through Thete's door to find every member of the staff trying to contain him to the bed. Despite their attempts to pin him, he bucked and twisted against his captors; lifting them up off the bed. Somehow, they'd all managed to keep from getting clubbed, but not for his lack of trying. In his attempt to twist out of their grip, he had pulled out his IV. Seeing his own blood added to his body's memory of being beaten, so he fought harder. The monitor alarms going off added to the chaos.

"Stop it now!" Hank's deep, angry voice rang out, bringing every head around, including Thete's. In the middle of trying to bite an arm in front of him, Thete froze and collapsed back on the bed as he begged for help against monsters.

"Y'all, want to get off the boy now?!" Hank pushed his way to the bedside, to find Thete shaking in terror.

"When I left, he was watching the damn TV; what the hell happened?!" He wrapped his arms around Thete's shaking body. "You, young man, calm down. Take deep breaths like I showed you, remember? Think about where you are."

"Hank, I thought they killed you. Have they hurt you? Fight Hank, please, don't let them hurt you." Thete sobbed as he tried to curl into Hank's side. "They tried to take me back. I didn't mean to, Hank. I swear, I won't do it any more. Please, don't let them take me back, please. They tried to make me do it again. Hank, let me die - please - just let me die."

"Thete, boy, no one hurt me, and you haven't done anything wrong. "

"I saw them, Hank; they were beating you. Why were they beating you?"

"Thete, listen to me. You are in the hospital. No one hurt me and no one is hurting you. No one, especially you, is going to die." Hank held Thete's shaking body in his arms as his own tears coursed down his cheeks. Once more, Thete was lost in a memory of hell. "Breathe Thete, that's it, just breathe. You're scaring Abby. Open your eyes; Abby is right here. These are your nurses. Remember Kathy; she is not letting anyone take you out of here."

Hank kept his arms tight around Thete, feeling his shirt getting damp from the boy's sobs. His whole body quaked with each shuddering breath, Hank looked up at the room full of out-of-breath, upset staff members. "Y'all need to get out of here 'till he's calm and then somebody damn well better explain this to me!" Hank waved Abby away with her syringe as he gently rocked Thete in his arms, feeling the terror leaving him. "I don't want him knocked out, Abby. He needs his brain to think. Just leave me with him for a few."

Fifteen minutes later, Hank came out and flashed a tight smile at Abby who then took his place with Thete as he marched to the station desk and Jack Wilson.

"You said he was ready! You said: start leaving him alone for a few minutes. Well how the hell did that work out for you, Doc?! I should never have left him!" Hank slammed his fist on the desk in a wasted effort to displace his rage making everyone at the desk jump back. His face twisted in rage by the flashback Thete had just suffered. "I swear, I will get my hands on those animals, and they will pay for what they've done!" He genuinely wanted to spend five minutes alone with the bastards who could have inflicted so much damage on another human and he wouldn't be serving pie.

"Calm down Hank, it's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault."

"Yeah, well; tell that to Thete! I shouldn't have left! Those sons of ... Damn Doc, he asked me to let him die! How could anyone think leaving him, was a good idea? We only found him four and half days ago."

The older officer interrupted. "Sir, I'm Sergeant Mike Leland, and I strongly suggest that you do as Doctor Wilson suggests and lower your voice."

"You want to try to make me! You can go straight to ... " Hank snarled back, ignoring the officer straightening up.

"Hank, calm down; these two will arrest you," Wilson said firmly. "I am not explaining to Thete why you're not here. Not to mention; he can hear you and it will scare him even more."

Hank ran his hand across his face and turned away, forcing his temper back under tight control. When he spoke his voice was lower, but still dripped with rage. "Who are these two, and why are they here?!" Hank snarled.

"The Governor sent them to provide protection for Thete." Wilson explained, trying to keep his own emotions under control. "Unfortunately, they went in before we could tell him, he went ballistic. He had a full-blown flashback, made worse by everyone trying to hold him down. One thing is sure, whoever did this; wore uniforms." Wilson gave the two officers an apologetic look.

Hank took a deep breath, he couldn't afford to get arrested, but he was still furious. "Your shrink friend was wrong, Doc. Maybe that idiot should watch the video of what just happened. I won't make this mistake again. If we're, his guardians, before I say yes to another damn shrink coming anywhere near him, I'm researching PTSD."

"Excuse me, but now that we are all calmer; you want to explain to us what just happened?" The officer asked as he tried to keep a rein on his own anger. "Someone want to explain why the guy we came to protect thinks we are here to kill him!"

"You mean, you don't know why you're here? We reported what happened on the 27th." Wilson shook his head in disbelief.

"Doctor Wilson, we are out of the Governor's security detail, not C.I.D. We are under orders to protect a British national, not get clobbered. We had clearance from your administrator to come up and we told your clerk why we're here. Now you need to explain to us what's going on."

"The short story," Wilson answered, "Someone kidnapped, tortured, raped that boy and then dumped him in the alley by Hank's café. When you walked in, he flashed back to whatever hell-hole he was in. You need to call your bosses and yell at them for not giving you a better report. Hank; I guess when we found out yesterday who he was, I should have told him. He was still so out of it. He was so much more alert this morning." Wilson pinched the bridge of his nose. The day had hardly started, and he already had a headache.

"Yeah," Hank muttered as he ran his hand over his face, fighting to stay calm. "I was going to talk to him after this so-called practice run. So much for that idea."

"Because his security clearance is just below presidents, the Brits requested a protection detail. Before his kidnapping, he had access to high security information, and they're afraid his captors might try again. His government wasn't to impressed with Bill's idea to leave him completely out of the computer. So - until their people get here, he gets a guard. Maybe, even after they're here."

"What about that tardis thing? Did he find out any more?"

"No, if the Consulate knows anything, they're not talking. Bill still thinks it's some sort WMD."

"What about the search up by the I-86 Truck Stop?" Hank's voice was dull now.

"According to Bill, the search proved worthless. They tried to have the state forensic lab enhance the tape, but it wasn't any help. There is no way to know if it was Thete and K'Nar escaping out of that truck. They did manage to enhance the truck's I.D., and they have put a BOLO out on it. Just to keep things lively, I hung up on a guy named Jack Harkness. He called from a plane over the Atlantic. I'm guessing he's the people."

Hank dropped his head to his chest. His first thought was about Thete's safety. His second was to wonder what he'd gotten his wife and best friend mixed up in. He looked at the trooper and stuck his hand out in apology, "Sorry, y'all got dumped in the middle of this. Like Doc, said call; your boss, 'cuz this is a damnable mess." Not knowing what else to say, he drew a breath and went back to Thete.

Abby was standing by his bed, stroking Thete's head trying to keep him calm. "He's worried you're mad," she said quietly.

Hank nodded at Abby and pulled his chair back up. Thete clutched his hand, but slowly calmed down, finally relaxing the death grip on Hank's hand. For the next thirty minutes, Hank sang the same songs he used to keep Thete calm after a nightmare.

"I'm sorry." Thete finally muttered. "Are you mad at me?"

"No. It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have left you alone so much. The fun part comes when I try to explain why to three angry women." Hank smiled gently. "I'll be lucky if I don't get a frying pan over the head. Now, try to rest for few more minutes and then we'll talk about what happened." Hank went back to humming.

Thete liked the song; he felt his brain calm and the deep fear in his chest ease off, but it was embarrassing that he enjoyed having someone, well just Hank, sing him to sleep, like a child. But something was wrong; the heaviness in his chest was different. He looked at Hank with frantic eyes and squeezed his hand. "Hank?"

"Yeah, Son?"

"I can't breathe."


	22. Chapter 22 Fears and Realisations

The time on the large clock on the waiting room's wall was off. Admittedly, not by much, but there was a five-minute discrepancy between the clock's so-called precise military time and Hank's watch. A watch that he knew for a fact was absolutely correct. It would seem the hospital could, at least, make sure their clocks were correct. It was a ludicrous concern, but he couldn't help it - the inaccuracy bothered him making him wonder what else was inaccurate. He scrubbed his hand across his face and turned back to look at the worried faces of his wife and best friend, and flashed them a worried smile. Until five days ago, they didn't even know Thete existed, and now they were his scared-to-death, defacto family. Well, it wasn't exactly five days, more like four and a half, but the point stood.

He didn't bother to hide the overwhelming guilt that he felt over Thete's flashback, or the fear that followed in its wake. Sarah and Nan both knew him too well to try to convince him what happened wasn't his fault, or that he had nothing to feel guilty over. This was one of those rare times Hank just needed to stomp around until he processed events. Three hours and twenty-one minutes earlier, Thete had squeezed his hand complaining that he couldn't breathe. Minutes after that, he was sitting up, clutching his chest wide-eyed with fear, gasping for air as he spit up blood. Even upright, he couldn't breathe. Hank had never watched a person turn grey, but Thete did; right in front of him.

Hank didn't think that he would ever get the image of Thete's panic-stricken eyes, or the blaring monitor alarms out of his head. Things happened so fast after that. Kathy shoved him out of the room as the staff piled in and Berta put an oxygen mask on Thete at 100%. As they wheeled him out of the room, Wilson said something about a blood clot. Following them to the elevator was the longest walk Hank had ever taken. He hoped Thete didn't hear him begging Wilson not to let him die. The last thing the boy needed to hear was the panic Hank knew was in his voice.

The whole mess had cooled his earlier fury toward Wilson, but he was still extremely angry at the idiot psychiatrist who'd come up with the idea to leave Thete. He should have followed his gut, and never left him alone. If he'd followed his instincts, then maybe Thete wouldn't have flashed back to hell. If he hadn't flashed ... The elevator buzzer interrupted his guilty reverie. All three heads turned to see Annie rush out of the elevator to join them.

"Hi, sorry that I took so long. I had to find someone to cover my shift, and then I had to ask Mom to get Emily from the daycare later. Have you heard anything?" Annie crossed the floor and hugged Sarah and Nan. Hank had already gone back to watching the clock. Three hours and twenty-six minutes ago, Thete disappeared into those same elevators.

"No, not yet," Nan answered.

"What happened? Last night he was doing so much better. He even laughed - well giggled, but it was a start," Annie asked, her voice filled with her concern.

Hank turned around to face the young woman and realised that he was a complete idiot. Someone (no, make that he) should have told her what they had found out. "Annie, I am sorry. This happened because of me." He wasn't sure what he was apologising for, other than making a mess of things.

"Hank, that's not true," Sarah fussed.

"What are you talking about?" Annie asked.

"Doc talked to some shrink about Thete's PTSD. That - person suggested that we should start leaving him alone every couple of hours to boost his coping skills," Hank answered derisively.

"What? Did the Psychiatrist even see Thete? How could he decide that without seeing him?"

"I never saw anyone," Hank answered. "Anyway, yesterday, Doc found out who Thete is, but he was still too out of it to tell him. We were going to tell him today, but Doc wanted me to start his lessons. The first time, he was fine, but then ... "

"Who is he," Annie interrupted, "and what does it have to do with what happened?" Annie faced Hank with her hands on her hips. For a nineteen-year old, Annie could be very direct.

Hank took a deep breath. "Thete is a scientist. He works for some secret branch of the British government; something called Torchwood. He was on a research tour in eastern Europe when terrorists kidnapped him. Because he has a head packed full of secrets, the British requested that he get police protection until their people get here. When he saw two State Police officers, he flashed back to those -"

"Hank, language," Sarah cautioned gently.

"Anyway, he tried to escape and fought off everyone in the unit. Then, he threw a blood clot, turned grey as a ghost and -"

"Hey?"

The four turned to see Kathy walking out ICU's door toward them. "Kathy, have you heard something?" Nan asked as she jumped up.

"Yeah; Thete's stable and they're on the way down. Doctor Wilson wants you to wait here so that he can talk to you."

Nan sank back into her seat. "Thank God. He's really okay?" She reached for Sarah's hand.

"The report said they had an issue, which Doctor Wilson will explain, but yes, he's fine. I, however, have six new grey hairs thanks to that skinny Brit." She gave Nan a hug. "Abby has his room all ready, and he'll be here in about five."

The four thanked her, hugged her, and they all thanked God that he wasn't dead. By Hank's watch, it was actually another eight minutes before the elevator doors finally opened, but when they did, relief flooded through the small group. Wilson stepped out, followed by the staff rolling Thete's bed off. One look at Wilson's face was all they needed to know that the issue was serious. The cardiac lab staff stopped long enough for his adopted family to kiss his forehead. Nan brushed a stray lock of hair away from his closed eyes.

"We love you, Cowboy," she whispered as tears slid down her face.

Still in a drugged sleep, he looked as fragile as the night in the ER. Hank gently pulled her back and nodded in gratitude as the staff took him back into the unit.

"We need to talk," Wilson said as he walked up to the four without his usual sense of humour. "Let's sit down."

"I don't want to sit down. I want to know what happened to that boy." Hank snapped. He felt his stomach clinch in anxiety.

Wilson drew a breath before he started. "Hank, sit down ... Please."

Hank's face softened when he looked into his wife's pleading eyes. He nodded at Wilson and joined his wife and best friend. He smiled gently at Annie as he wrapped his hand over her smaller one when she sat next to him.

"Good, now, I had the cardiologist come back in for the cath. Doctor Nevis used venous Doppler studies to map his vascular system, which - was a challenge. Thete's birth defects are a double-edged sword. He doesn't just have two hearts; he has a mirror image intertwined, cardiovascular system.

"Doc, we know this," Hank interrupted angrily.

"Just bear with me, Hank. He spent days confined, without treatment, hurting so much that he didn't move. Lack of movement, combined with the beatings, compromised his circulation, and that led to what we call deep vein thrombosis. We put pressure stockings with leg wraps on all our patients to prevent this from happening, but when we put his on, we didn't know that a clot was already there. If he were normal, we would have known a problem existed almost immediately because it would have caused his leg to swell. On the other hand, if he were normal, we very well could have lost him this morning. His second heart and system basically protected his circulation and kept his blood pressure normal when he threw the clot to his lung. The downside is that having two systems masked three more clots forming in his right iliac vein on the side controlled by his right heart."

Hank stood up and walked in a tight circle. Wilson said nothing until Hank turned back to face him. "Go on, Doc."

"When they assaulted him, they didn't care where the blows landed plus what they did when he was r ... " Wilson stopped and looked at the women.

"It's alright Doctor," Nan said. "We're grownups here."

Wilson gave her grateful smile. "They didn't care where they hit him when he was raped. I am still amazed his internal injuries aren't far worse. Anyway, we used tPA..."

"Doc, I'm a cook and an old soldier; what's that?"

"Sorry, it's a drug that dissolves blot clots. We use ultrasound to break them up and the tPA finishes the job, and then we removed the one in his lung. To make things interesting, his right heart had a burst of irregularity that we call PVCs, and then it stopped. It took intra-cardiac adrenaline to get it going again."

"Dear God!" Sarah and Nan both gasped and reached for Annie. Hank stood like the soldier he was, watching as Annie fought to hold back her tears.

"The tPA acts as a blood thinner, and will keep any further clots from developing. According to what Nevis told me, the kid that he took care of wasn't nearly this complicated - he died before he turned ten. It's a miracle that nothing bad has happened to Thete before now. Maybe it has, but without a history, there's no way I can tell. I do know that his system is so intertwined that I don't think he could fully function with just one heart. It would be as if we had a major heart attack that left us with a damaged heart. Right now, he's stable, and hopefully we can get him up this evening. I just need to prepare you guys if he goes south on us again."

"He's not dying, though, right?" Hank kept his voice even, but his heart was in his throat. "I mean, you said he's stable, right?"

"No, he's not dying, but he - is - sick. His still has a significant pneumonia. I expected his x-ray to look better by now, but it doesn't. He dropped his oxygen level to 84%. If he'd gone much lower, he'd need a ventilator. But with the clots resolved, suctioning a ton of junk from his lungs, and increasing his oxygen, he is back up to 93%. I have increased his oxygen flow to 100% by mask 'til he wakes up. They'll suction him every two hours while he's out. I've increased the strength of his antibiotics and increased his breathing treatments. We need to really work on getting him to cough, and we need to use less sedation, so he can cough deeply, and that hurts so... Honestly, the boy scares me."

"Just gets better and better doesn't it," Annie said quietly as she squeezed Hank's hand tighter.

"I am doing my best guys, and I will continue to do the best for him that I can. I need to make sure you understand that there is more going on than bad bruises and amnesia. I have thought about stat-flighting him to Louisville, but you wouldn't be able to stay with him if I did, and I think that would be devastating to him. He's not going to get well overnight, and if you want to walk away, I do understand."

"Doc, I thought the idea to leave him alone to improve his coping skills was stupid, but you just beat it!" Hank's voice cracked with anger. "I held that boy in my arms this morning while he begged me to let him die, and then he damn near did! We aren't going anywhere except his room!"

"You are," Sarah said quietly.

"What?" Hank looked at his wife as if she had just slapped him.

"Sweetheart, you are and have always been a great dad, even to kids who aren't yours. But, right now, you are angry and scared, and that's not going to help Thete. He needs you to be dad now: to tell him everything will be okay. He does not need a guilt-ridden, angry man making things worse. Go home, take a long ride, work it out, and then come back. I mean it."

"Hank, Sarah is right, this wasn't your fault, and it wasn't mine. Tossing himself all over the bed hurried along something that would have happened regardless. That flashback undid something else. He was just starting to feel safe. I mean, as stupid as it sounds, he giggled in front of people, and that meant he trusted us enough to stop looking at doors. Hell, just complaining about Berta was a step forward. I am sorry; I thought he was ready to move a little closer to returning to at least feel normal. Now, we will probably have to start over. Go home. The Brits will be here tonight, and like you told me the other night, cooler heads need to prevail."

"Can I at least check on him?" Hank replied with a tone of resignation in his voice.

"Yes, go see him. We gave him a fair amount of Versed and Ativan, so he'll sleep for a while. And, for the record, I never thought you'd walk away. It's weird, but for some reason, the Good Lord has plunked that boy down among strangers that will take care of him. Maybe it's his way for making up what the devil did to him. Who knows?"

Nan and Sarah's supportive hug meant more to Wilson than they could know. As the four walk back to the unit, he wasn't at all sure he deserved their trust. He should have expected something like this happening, but he didn't. Logic told him that he could not have seen Thete taking a near fatal turn. But he was tired, angry and didn't feel like paying attention to logic. Maybe it was actually time to consider retiring.

He drew a deep breath through his nose to refocus and then checked his messages. The Brits had called while he was in the cath lab - twice. He dreaded returning the call. Giving the Munsons and Nan crummy news was hard enough. And they'd stood in front of him. Delivering it over a web-cam connection to people stuck on a plane made him sick. All they could do was stew. The buzz from his cell phone provided him with a much needed distraction. He headed for the elevator and the medical floor for another code. It was one lousy day.

o0o

Jack sat with his seat laid back, his eyes closed against the nagging headache sitting behind his right eye. A second and then a third call to Doctor Wilson went unanswered - without explanation. The last thing Jack wanted was to allow frustration to take hold, or for his imagination run wild, but nearly four hours into the flight, that was proving harder. The nagging feeling that something terrible had already happened or was going to happen started shortly after the plane left Welsh airspace, and had grown stronger as the morning wore on. Up until then, he'd felt okay about leaving the Doctor safe in Kentucky while they ironed things out, but now - - it was all wrong.

So far, he hadn't said anything to the group about the premonition. The last thing that he wanted to hear was I told you so. It had definitely been a while since he'd felt this helpless or out of control. He was the one that everyone else looked to as a source of reason, while they went off half-cocked. Maybe, he was losing his touch as an effective leader. Maybe it was time to quit and find another way to spend eternity. Maybe Amy was right when she said that he should have gone into that compound earlier. Maybe.

"Jack?" River called softly from her seat. When he didn't answer she moved to the seat next to him. "Jack?"

"What?" He grumped.

"It's almost over," she murmured.

"You think?"

"We know the Americans are taking good care of him, and you were right not to let me go off half-cocked and create issues."

Jack cracked open an eye to look at her. "Is that an apology?"

"As much of one as you will ever get out of me." She smiled.

Jack chuckled softly. "Don't tell the kids, but I like you, River Song. I don't understand you, but I like you." He looked at River with a worried expression. "Something is wrong, I can feel it. It started right before the call, and - - I can't shake it," Jack said quietly.

"Ianto has the call ready to go through. If there is something wrong, we'll know soon. Want an aspirin?"

"Yeah, actually that, and a cup of coffee sounds good."

Jack had just dry swallowed the aspirin and taken a swallow of Ianto's coffee when the computer beeped. He bolted to join the others at the computer. Martha had decided that a fellow physician would make the American doctor more comfortable, so it was she who would lead the call. If anyone could soothe ruffled feathers it was the voice of a nightingale. He sat behind her, and chortled when she sat ramrod straight. It reminded him of a student waiting for a professor to step in. They needed this man to trust her, or at least respect her. He needed to believe their only concern was for the Doctor. She took a deep breath, made sure everyone was around her and hit the button to start the call.

When they connected, they saw a middle-aged, somewhat overweight man who looked ... weary. The man's smile didn't cover his tense expression. His desk piled with paperwork, he'd pushed his half-eaten lunch off to the side and replaced it with a cup of coffee. A well-worn stethoscope hung around his neck. Half rimmed glass sat on top of his head.

Jack Wilson planted a smile on his face and tried to sound his usual pleasant self as he faced the webcam on his computer. The group of individuals that looked back at him looked as tired as he felt. They all showed the same worried expressions. Wilson couldn't help but wonder how long they had gone without any real sleep. Two women and three men gathered around a young black woman. Of the six, she looked the least exhausted. Wilson already had a fair idea of who they all actually were, their passport pictures sat on his desk, but those pictures did not show the worried expressions that he saw now. His smile warmed slightly when he heard the black woman's lovely accent. She sounded self-assured and professional.

"Doctor Wilson, thank you for talking with us."

"You're welcome. Doctor Jones, I presume?" he answered.

"Yes sir, should I introduce everyone?"

Wilson shook his head. He kept his voice even and professional. "I have copies of everyone's passports for which I thank you. We wouldn't be talking otherwise. Captain Harkness, thanks for the definitions this morning and for the portfolio. The information in that will help us take care of Thete."

You're welcome, Doctor," Jack answered. "Sorry for any misunderstanding. Might I say, sir, you don't sound Kentuckian," Jack quipped.

"Well," Wilson snorted at the joke, "now that's because I am Chicago born and bred. Until five years ago, I never left the city longer than two weeks. My wife however is Kentucky born and bred. She wanted to move home to the mountains, but this was as close as I could get. But, I suspect, you already know that, don't you?" Wilson scoffed.

"Yes sir, I sort of do," Jack snorted in reply.

"Captain, I'm sorry if I came across rude this morning. I had a long night, leading to a lousy morning. You caught me at a bad time."

"Doctor Wilson," Martha interrupted, "Jack heard Doctor Smith scream. Please, we really need to know how he is doing," Martha asked with a professional tone.

Wilson sighed. Years of practice gave him a good ear, and he could hear the young doctor's anxiety despite her best effort to keep it hidden. "I'm sorry about that. He had a flashback, a bad one. At the moment, he's stable and asleep. So, let's start over. Let's start with his name. He told us that his name was Thete. With a lot of prodding, we got him to remember Jonathon Theta Smith, but he doesn't recognise the name as his. I just want to make sure we are orienting him to the right name. What do you call him?"

"Strangely enough, we just call him Doctor..." Martha didn't get the chance to finish.

"Excuse me?"

Despite his confusion at Jones' answer, Wilson couldn't help but smile at the lovely young lady who interrupted.

"Please," a young red-head leaned over Doctor Jones. "Please, Doctor, he's our best friend. When the police raided the hell-hole where he was kept, he was already gone. We don't know how he ended up in Kentucky or why, but please, we - I need to know if he's alright."

"Alright Miss..." He pushed his paperwork aside until he saw her passport picture.

"Amy, Amy Pond. Please - is he alright?" She begged for an answer.

Wilson drew a breath and looked at the distressed young woman on his screen. She looked ready to cry. "Amy," Wilson answered gently, "I'm sorry, but your friend is a sick young man. How much do you know about what happened to him?"

Jack leaned closer to the computer, his tone no longer light. "We know that slime kidnapped him to force him to turn over a classified project. They drugged him, hung him from chains and beat him. They kicked him, slapped him, and smashed his head against the wall every time he told them no. They used a Taser-tipped whip to beat him. They drugged him. The night before, they forced a hallucinogenic into him and taped the results for their viewing pleasure. It went on every day, multiple times a day, for over three weeks. When they found out that we had tracked him to the village where they were hiding, they panicked. They pulled him out the afternoon before we raided their compound."

Wilson blanched at the information. They had guessed, but this was worse than he thought. "We figured out the forced drugging. He refused to use a pain management pump and until today we had to sneak pain medicine the first few you have a clue to what the drug was? We've not been able to identify it."

"It was a designer version of LSD. It's in the hands of a forensic team trying to identify its components." Jack replied.

Wilson looked away as sighed deeply. "How did he get here?" Wilson asked when he looked back at the group.

"That we don't know," Jack answered. "But I will find out," Jack answered coldly.

"What we also don't know is what his injuries are." Martha finished.

"Well, Doctor Jones, Amy, let's do this calmly, okay?"

"I promise to answer as many questions as I can. Let's get back to his name. Why do you call him Doctor if his nickname is Thete?"

"Because he's a git," Jack snickered. "He graduated with his first doctorate when he was 18, and drove everyone nuts insisting that we call him Doctor. It was a joke for us, but it made him happy. It didn't get insufferable until he finished the second one, two years later. Now it's our nickname for him. When he was a kid, his family called him John or Theta. Only his mates at University ever called him Thete."

"Okay, well, Thete is the only name he responds to now. He doesn't remember that Jonathon Theta Smith is his name." Wilson focused on Amy, who looked closest to tears. "Amy, to answer your first question, Like I said, he is quite sick, but he's stable. When we admitted him, he was disoriented and extremely confused. Initially, he begged to go to Cardiff to find someone named Jack who would, as he put it, make them pay. I'm guessing Captain, you're the Jack that he was looking for. I have to tell you, I had to look Cardiff up. Anyway, his external injuries are not life-threatening in themselves. His left shoulder was severely dislocated. The x-ray looked like someone who didn't know what they were doing tried to reduce it. From the ligament damage, I am guessing he's dislocated it at least three times. He's also fractured his wrist, has multiple contusions, electrical burns and lacerations from a beating with what looks like a belt. My immediate concerns revolve around his internal injuries. The repeated kicking resulted in three fractured ribs and bruised his lungs. He has a grade 3 traumatic brain injury; that's a serious concussion. Doctor Jones can explain it to you, but it has contributed to his memory loss. He has bruised kidneys, a straddle injury, stress-related gastric ulcers," Wilson drew a breath, "and acute pneumonia. Just before he was found, he stepped on broken glass and sliced open the bottom of his foot."

The five Brits stared at him from the screen in silence. It was obvious he wasn't finished. When no one spoke, he continued.

"I think his memory loss is a combination of trauma and Dissociative Amnesia. He has absolutely no idea what has happened to him or why. He doesn't remember anything before showing up during a nasty storm."

They all looked at Jack. "Damn," was all he could say.

"He's lost everything?" River muttered.

"From what I can tell, I'm sorry, but yes," Wilson answered sympathetically.

"I'm sorry," Martha swallowed hard, sounding heartbroken. "The thought of him so sick is a little hard to take," Martha answered. "Was he able to tell you anything about himself before he shut down?"

"Not much. Initially, he managed to tell us about the aspirin allergy, and what he remembered about his hearts. He remembered some details of his abuse, but by the morning after admission he'd buried that as about as deep as it could go."

"Doctor, I hate to ask this, but is that all?" Martha asked quietly.

"I'm sorry, but no, that was actually the good part." Wilson answered as he leaned forward again. "I am sorry. This isn't something I would normally ever discuss with a family over the phone, or in your situation, flying over an ocean. But, in the hours before he showed up in the alley, he was brutally gang raped. That's how he received the straddle injury, and I think that it was the last straw for him mentally. In addition, because of his confinement, he's developed blood clots. This morning, because of the intensity of the flashback, he threw one to his lung. Doctor, his birth defects, have made things ... difficult. I hope you can help us when you get here."

"I'm looking forward to it. I'm bringing his records. I'd email them, but they're classified; I'm sorry." Martha answered tightly.

"That's alright, I am just glad that you're bringing them. I really do need them. Anyway, we used tPA and ultrasound to break up the clots. Just to make my morning interesting he threw a run of PVCs, and then his right heart stopped. We had to use intra-cardiac adrenaline to get it going again. He's stable now, and both hearts have a normal rhythm, but I'm worried. Has he done that before?"

"Once, when he was a kid." Martha swallowed. "To my knowledge he's never done it again. How are his clotting times after the tPA? What meds are you giving him? In addition to his aspirin allergy, he's intolerant to several others."

"His clotting times are normal. He is on Vancomycin every twelve hours to treat his pneumonia and to prevent sepsis. We've started him on an AIDS preventative regimen due to the rapes. We had to use a hefty dose of Versed when we sedated him to set his wrist and shoulder, and when we took care of the clots. He is on morphine for pain and Ativan as a last resort to calm him down. He's on IV antacids, and we're using Phenergan and Zofran for his nausea." Wilson drew a breath. It broke his heart to tell people things like this. It was the one thing he hated about being a Doctor. "Couple of non-medical things. First, the police found sort of wrist strap computer thing. Thete says it belongs to a girl named K'Nar. He won't let it out of his sight. He called it a portal and that it might bring her back. He was so desperate to find her that we thought she was his sister, but the report from the Consulate said he didn't have a family."

"K'Nar," Amy leaned forward, her voice filled with hope. "He remembers K'Nar?"

"Yes," Wilson straightened. "although I'm not sure how much. He's decided that she's dead now, and won't talk about her. Your government doesn't know who she is, and there are no missing reports for her here - who is she?"

Jack swallowed hard as he looked away from the computer. "She is the reason he's alive," Jack answered soberly when he looked back. "K'Nar is a sweet, thirteen year-old kid who was kidnapped and then bought by his captors. They used her for a slave. They made her clean up his blood, and muck after they finished their little play sessions. He and K'Nar grew - very close." Jack ran a hand over his face.

"She's back with her family now; traumatised, but safe. But she's not British, which is why our government couldn't help you. She's from Eastern Europe. We found her hiding in his cell at the compound. As best, we understand it, they ripped her out of his arms when they decided to smuggle him to the States."

"Dear God." Wilson shook his head. "Guess we can cancel that BOLO," Wilson muttered as he sat back stunned. "Do you know what happened to her? If we could find her, it might help him stabilise emotionally."

River leaned in. "Doctor, please, tell him that she's safe?"

"I will, but I'm not sure that he'll believe me. Can you bring her here?"

Jack shook his head. "Not any time soon, her family took her into hiding. Doctor, I need to know what the band looks like." Jack's voice was urgent as he stuck up his wrist. "Does it look like mine?"

"As a matter-of-fact, yes. What is it?"

"It's a piece of equipment Thete was field testing for Torchwood. How she got it, I don't know, but if he can't remember how it works and tries to play with it, he could wipe out your computers. This is important - I need you to find a way to get it from him."

"It just gets more interesting, doesn't it," Wilson snorted. "He'll go nuts if I take that thing from him. The screen's cracked, and when the Chief tried to turn it on, it didn't work. Does that matter?" By the look on the Captain's face, Wilson already knew that it mattered. The man blanched at the mere mention of turning it on.

Jack gulped. "Maybe, but don't let Thete or anyone else open it. Knowing him, he'd try to make it work. Can you keep him loopy enough that he won't notice it?"

"We're doing that already. He still sleeps most of the time. I'll tell the folks staying with him to distract him if tries." Now Wilson had visions of monitors blowing up stuck in his head. "Just make sure the wrist thing is actually broken when you get here." Wilson chuckled slightly. "I can't replace our computers; we just upgraded. I have one more question, Captain."

"Yes?"

"Why do you sound American?" Wilson asked with a smirk.

"I was born in Canada." Jack chuckled. "We should land around seven your time. I hope we can work together, Doctor."

"As long as you don't upset him, I'm sure we'll get along fine."

"Dr. Wilson, you do realise we are taking him home - tonight?" Jack said firmly.

Wilson leaned forward, his voice hardened and his eyes narrowed. He'd half expected this, but from the stunned expression on the young doctor's face, she didn't. Wilson hoped she had influence over the good Captain "Captain Harkness, you do realise, no one will take that young man out of this hospital or from this town against his wishes? Visit all you like, Captain, and I do look forward to conferring with Doctor Jones."

Wilson pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to control his temper. He took a swallow of coffee before he looked back at the screen.

"Understand this; no one will force him to go anywhere. Until he is ready to leave physically and emotionally, we will protect him. The people who rescued him have sort of adopted him. There are four people he considers his family-Hank and Sarah Munson, Nan Carson, and a girl named Annie Gleeson. They have come to love that boy as much as if he belonged to them. The Munsons and Nan are his temporary guardians since his mental state is precarious at best. Someone stays with him around the clock. Plus, thanks to your government, he has State Police protection as well. They sit right outside his room. At the moment, he doesn't know you exist. You come in here and try to take him anywhere against his wishes, and we will be in court. Now," Wilson smiled coldly. "I have patients to see. I'll see you tonight. Have a nice flight." Wilson clicked off.

Great, he thought,all we need is a court battle.

Martha stared at the Torchwood's screensaver for thirty seconds before turning to face Jack. "Are you out of your mind?" She growled.

"We are taking him home," Jack answered firmly. His voice was low but determined.

"I'm with Jack," River said.

"We need to take him home," Amy agreed.

"That is my decision!" Martha said as she glared at all three of them. "We expected a few injuries and some level of amnesia, but he sounds desperately ill. We can't just grab him and run if he's that sick. If I decide he is not strong enough even to make it to the TARDIS, he isn't moving. You," she poked Jack in the chest, "just turned us into the enemy!"

"Moving him is wrong," Rory said quietly.

"What?" They all echoed the word as they looked at him.

"Look," Rory began, "this is just my opinion, but this is more than what K'Nar did." Rory smiled at Amy and then continued. "After they took Amy, he was drowning in guilt, and he was so angry. He was cold - and dark. I made it worse because I blamed him for what happened ... Anyway, he didn't eat unless I made him, and slept even less than he usually does. Every marker that he called in, came with a threat of retribution. Sometimes implied, but sometimes ... . Sometimes, he was dangerously reckless, maybe borderline suicidal."

"Like he was with the Daleks," Martha muttered.

Rory flashed her a confused look as he continued. "He went to war against the universe and for them." Rory looked over at Amy and River as he spoke. "He was so happy when we got Amy and Melody back. But then - it all went horribly wrong. People died, and we lost Melody anyway. He swore afterwards - on his life - to get her back, but that didn't happen. Losing her, and then ... And, then being gang raped on top of all the other stuff; it's all just too much. He's lost too much." Rory stopped to take a breath as he squeezed Amy's hand. He didn't dare look in the faces of his wife and daughter.

Martha's heart ached for Amy and Rory as she listened to what happened at Demon's Run. The mixture of regret and sadness in Rory's voice was mirrored in both Amy and River's eyes..

"Rory, you don't know - " Jack started.

Rory took another breath before meeting Jack's eyes. "What I'm talking about?" Rory finished. "Maybe I don't, but I do know what K'Nar said. She combined the name the Doctor uses on Earth with his childhood nickname. She ingrained it into his memory so that he would know, no matter what that, he's Jonathon Theta Smith. But that name means nothing to him now. She also said that she took the memories of what happened away, but he's having flashbacks and nightmares so she didn't do a thorough job. His amnesia is not just from her or his head injury. I know that I'm just a nurse, but I was with him in the months we hunted for Amy, and I'm telling you, he doesn't want to be a Time Lord anymore. He doesn't want to be him anymore - - so - - he's quit. If we force him to go home, he will shut down to nothing, and we may never get him back. We might not anyway. Like I said, it's just my - - nurse's opinion."


	23. Chapter 23 Why

_A hot breeze swept through the field sending ripples through the tall, red grass spreading like gentle waves around the boy. He stood in the middle of the deep red grass with his arms out, and his eyes closed while shivers of delight pulsed through him as the stalks tickled his skin. With his face turned up to the dual suns, he spun in a circle, slowly at first, and then faster and faster until the dizziness overrode his senses and he collapsed to the ground panting._

_He blinked at the bright sunlight as he tried to gaze up at the glowing, deep orange sky. The deep heat of the twin suns washed over him, warming him to his very core. He wasn't sure how long he just laid there, lost in his mind, but before he realised, the call of home tugged at his heart, forcing him back to his feet. He wasn't that far from the house. The house wasn't that far way, tugged safely into the crags of the side of a mountain. He pushed his way through the thick grass toward the snow-capped mountains that rose in front of him. Home stood out as the dun coloured castle seen at the foot of a jagged face of Mount Lung That's where he would find peace, inside the walls of his father's compound._

_His growing excitement proved too much, he finally took off at a dead run, covering the last few hundred yards in just minutes. At any moment, he would burst through the kitchen doors where Nala would have dumplings, dripping in honey and kona nuts, waiting for him. A grin spread across his face at the idea of popping one of the cook's desserts in his mouth._

_Fifty yards from the edge of the field and house, the sound of haunting voice singing brought him to a stop. She was calling, begging him to come to her. He searched the meadow for the a song that grew louder, more intense: it seemed to penetrate his very soul, forcing him to turn from his destination. He finally spotted her standing at the very edge of the meadow, at the foot of the cliffs. Her torn clothes and black unruly hair hanging around her face gave her the wild appearance of a mad-woman appearance. Ribbons of energy flowed in and around her. Tendrils of golden energy reached out towards him, reeling him in towards her. Despite her tousled look, she was - singularly - the most beautiful woman that he'd ever seen._

_She fascinated him. Her incredibly mysterious song bewitched him, drawing him towards her like a magnet. Just a few steps made in confusion at first, then he shifted to a full run toward her. Just as he reached the edge of the meadow, she disappeared. Turning in place, searching for her, everything that he could see erupted in flames. The place where she stood, the meadow, the house, even the mountains vanished, leaving behind nothing but mounds of ash._

"Hank!" Thete yelled as he jerked awake, breathing heavily momentarily confused by the dream.

He blinked rapidly for several seconds as his eyes adjusted to the darkened room. The only sounds came from beeping monitors and the gentle blowing of his air bed's blower. He'd had the strangest dream. Strange, but nice. A woman was singing to him and then ... The whole not remembering thing was seriously getting old. He lifted his head to look for Hank only to a wave of pain shoot through his shoulder, prompting him to drop his head back. The moment of panic at being alone passed when the door opened followed by a wonderful Kentucky accent that belonged to the person who could always make him smile.

"Hey, Cowboy," Nan called, "'bout time you woke up." She and Sarah walked through the door, each carrying a fresh cup of coffee and wearing broad smiles.

"Nan, Sarah - where's Hank?" His throat was so dry he barely managed to croak the words. He'd pay anyone for a nice cuppa.

"I sent him home to make some calls and deal with his angst," Sarah answered gently.

He swallowed thickly before he could speak, "Can I have some water?"

Nan held the cup as he sucked down the cold water. Finally, he looked at both ladies. "What happened?" His voice still croaked.

"You," Sarah fussed, "had an exciting morning." They each leaned over the rail, kissed his forehead, and then sat down.

Thete's eyebrows knitted together, and then he groaned as the morning flooded back in all its glory. "Oh God, I went mental - - like a baby - - in front of Abby."

"You weren't - - mental." Nan fussed. "You just - - got a little upset."

"Upset? It was in front of Abby," he whinged. "Berta," he rolled his eyes at the memory, "she was there. Oh, just shoot me now, please, shoot me now." Humiliated, he wanted to crawl in the nearest hole, but the best he could do was duck his head under the covers as they chuckled at him. The embarrassment was short-lived when he discovered that someone had placed a heavy sandbag in a place where no sandbag should be. For some reason, his leg was also firmly secured to the bed. His head popped back out from under the covers, his face wearing a decidedly confused expression.

"Maybe you could - possibly, you know, catch me up? Did I kick someone? Is this like a punishment for going mental?"

Before they could answer, Abby came through the door.

"You can put your blanket down now, goof." Abby grinned at him from the doorway.

Thete dropped his blanket, looking up at her. "Why is there a sandbag - down there ?" h e asked, more than a bit perplexed. "And why can't I move my leg ?"

"The sandbag kept pressure on your groin so you wouldn't bleed after your procedure this morning. " Abby explained as she walked over to him. "It can come off now. You can move your leg now, too. "

"What procedure? I don't remember a procedure." He looked at Nan and Sarah.

"Do you remember getting short of breath this morning?" Abby asked softly.

"Kind of. Hank was there and then ... "

"After your epis - -" Abby started to explain.

"I'm really sorry," he interrupted.

"It wasn't your fault. Do you remember what happened?"

"I just remember losing it, and then Hank was singing."

Abby laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Well, do you remember why you - - lost it?"

"No, but you were there, and Berta ..." he groaned in embarrassment again.

Abby snorted softly. "We'll get over it. You had several blood clots, and with all the moving around, one broke loose and went to your lung. Doctor Wilson took you to the Cath Lab and eliminated that one and three others. The catheter went into your groin. After they pulled the catheter from the vein, they put the sandbag on to keep pressure so you wouldn't bleed afterwards."

For a long moment, he just looked at her. When he finally spoke, he sounded as hopeless as he suddenly felt. "I'm not ever getting well, am I?"

"Thete, that's not true!" Sarah and Nan said together.

"It's always something - - the sick, the headache, the pneumonia. It just goes on and on." He sounded thoroughly dejected.

"Thete," Abby interrupted, "five days ago, we didn't know if you would live through the night and you did. Three days ago, you couldn't stand to let your new family out of your sight without panicking. Now, they can get coffee and even chat outside your room. You are better, and you are getting better and stronger every day."

"Right, sorry. Shouldn't feel sorry for myself. The patient in six died last night."

"How did you know that?" Abby asked surprised.

"It didn't take long to figure out what a Code Blue is. I am a bloody genius you know." He glanced away. "Sorry, that came out rude didn't it?"

"If you like," Nan said, changing the subject, " Doctor Wilson says you can try to get up."

"Really?" He looked up at Abby who nodded. "Oh, yeah." Thete brightened as he struggled to sit up.

Abby laughed gently as she pushed him back and handed him the bed control. " Let's do it the slow way, so you don't hit the floor. I've had enough excitement for one day."

Three minutes later, he sat on the edge of the bed fighting the overwhelming urge to fall face forward to the floor. Abby kept telling him to look straight ahead or up, but all he could do was close his eyes against the room spinning around him. It was several seconds before he opened his eyes to see the little black dots fading. He looked at the women with a flash of a cheeky grin and swallowed reflexively against the nausea. He felt his racing hearts slow and the rushing sound in his ears fade. His face felt warm as beads of sweat formed along his hairline. A sudden coughing spasm made him groan, forcing him to lean against Sarah.

"You can lie back down if you want and we can try later, Thete," Abby said as she slipped a slipper on his good foot.

"I'm okay." He flashed a tight smile as Sarah and Nan helped him slip on his new fluffy dressing gown. "So, I've got a question," he asked in a trembling voice.

"What?" Abby asked, pushing his already damp hair back.

"How many people did I kick off this morning?" It was hard for him to believe that he had kicked anyone off his bed. Now, just standing was a challenge.

"Um, well, there were four nurses, Berta, Doctor Wilson and the physical therapist that was supposed to do your evaluation, so that makes - seven."

"Adrenaline, where are you when I need you?" He muttered as he looked up at three encouraging smiles.

"Are you ready?" Abby stood firmly in front, ready to help him stand up.

When he nodded, Nan and Sarah stood on each side of him while Abby helped him stand and pivot to the recliner. He grunted as he dropped heavily into the recliner. For several breathless seconds, he struggled to adjust to sitting in a chair. When he could breathe easily again, he grinned at the women. He felt as if he had just successfully completed a marathon race. The cool, wet flannel Nan used to wipe his face felt wonderful on his flushed face. It felt fantastic to be out of bed, but who knew that the effort would be totally exhausting.

"I did it, and I didn't collapse or anything." He grinned up at them.

"Yes, you did," Abby chuckled softly as she raised his legs up, made sure his nasal cannula was in place and then adjusted his monitor wires and catheter so that they wouldn't bother him. Nan wiped his face with a cool, wet flannel, and Sarah reached for the coverlet she'd brought him from home. For just a moment, for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt - almost normal, sitting in the chair. He looked up at their smiling faces and grinned.

He waved his right hand like a king - until he noticed his wrist. The dressings were gone, and for the first time, he noticed the healing cuts, abrasions, and dark bruises that spread above his wrist and down into his fingers. His eyebrows knitted together; he worked his chin in confusion as he studied the bruising that extended from under his cast down the fingers of his other hand. He didn't need to ask what made the cuts - he knew. Someone had chained him ... like an animal.

He pushed his dressing gown sleeves back to stare at the bruises on his arms, and then stopped Sarah from tucking a blanket across his lap. He looked as far up his thighs as modesty dared. Deep bruises and healing electrical burns still covered his legs. His right ankle bore the same marks as his wrist, and he assumed his bandaged ankle was no different. When he looked up, Nan had tears running down her face. He looked at Sarah and Abby both of whom had tears brimming . His momentary joy turned to bitter anger.

His voice cracked with emotion as he struggled to remember what happened. "Nobody mugged me, did they?"

"No," Nan answered softly as she wiped away her tears, "they didn't."

He couldn't remember what he had done to deserve this. "Hank and Doctor Wilson lied. Why?"

"They didn't lie, you were just too out of it to understand." Nan answered.

Thete stared at his ankle. Wherever he looked, he found deep, purple bruises. What did the places he couldn't see look like? This was what the monsters in his nightmares had done. This was why he was afraid. But why? Who could hate him that much. Maybe the better question was: what horrible thing had he done to deserve it?

Bewildered, he looked up at Nan. "Why did they do this?"

"We honestly don't know why. The night we found you, you called your attackers morons, but you couldn't tell us why they hurt you. There are some people coming that hopefully can help answer that," she answered tenderly.

" Who's coming ?" His eyes welled up with tears that he refused to allow.

" All we know is that they are coming from the organisation that you work for. It's called Torchwood, and they have looked for you for weeks. Doctor Wilson talked to them. They're in the air now, coming from Britain." Sarah answered.

For a long moment, he didn't respond. He couldn't stand the heart break in her voice, but he couldn't stop. " I want to see my face. I want to know why my jaws hurt." Thete kept staring at his wrist. " Where's my band ?" He looked at Abby. "I want it back, " he said, glancing down at his hand, " and then I want a mirror. " His voice trembled in anger. "And, I want - to - know - why. "

"Your band is out at the desk." Nan swallowed her tears. "I'll just go get it."

"I want to know what else they did."

" Thete, " Abby said gently as she knelt in front of him, " We almost lost you this morning. You have to focus on staying as calm as possible. I can't let you get upset. If you want, I will send Sarah out too, and I will show you what you can see. I can tell you that you're bruised from head to toe; even your lungs are bruised. Seeing them won't make the marks or the pain go away, and it won't tell you who, or why someone did this to you. "

Thete watched her eyes. They were filled with worry for him, but there was something else, something she didn't want him to know. He felt the muscles in his jaw twitch as he clenched and unclenched his hand. He would not lose it again, he just wouldn't.

"Understand, Thete, if I think it's too much, I will medicate you. I cannot let you get overwhelmed. You're too sick to repeat this morning. Agreed?" Abby said firmly.

Thete nodded and then looked up at Sarah, his voice quivering, "Don't be mad, Sarah - please. I don't want you to be mad, but I have to see. I'm sorry, but... I just need to see. I promise - - not to go mental. I just ... I need to see."

Sarah leaned over, kissed the top of his head. "Sweetheart, you can't make us mad because you want to see what happened to you. Just remember we are here, and we love you."

"Why?"

"Why, what?

"Why would you love me? I could be a killer or a rapist. Maybe ... that's why they hurt me."

Sarah cupped his chin, lifting it until his eyes met hers. "You stand as much of a chance being something evil as you do being from another planet." She kissed his forehead. "Nan and I are right outside."

Outside his door, Sarah nodded to the trooper sitting by the door, but all she could focus on was her friend standing next to Kathy with the nurse's supportive arm around her. Nan clutched his band, looking as if she would burst into tears any second. Sarah walked straight into her friend's arms, and the two cried, not caring who watched. When their tears were under control, they waited. Several minutes of silence ended with the sound of a water pitcher smashing against the door, and the bedside table smacking a wall. No one moved. Several more passed before Abby came out, nodded to her boss, walked to the nurses' station and paged housekeeping before she joined them.

"He's okay; he's calm and in control. He doesn't know the worst or about the whip marks on his back. I told him that the bruising and swelling down below came from being repeatedly kicked, and I told him that the police think it had to do with something that he called a tardis. I explained that's why Doctor Wilson keeps asking him about it. He's confused, and he's very angry, but he doesn't show any signs of another flashback."

"You certainly can't blame him for being angry. You won't have to sedate him will you?" Nan asked.

"I don't think so," Abby answered. "He was going to have to find out sometime. I need to call Doctor Wilson and let him know what happened and that he knows that he wasn't mugged. He'll want to come talk to him. Let housekeeping mop the floor, then you can go in."

Once the housekeeper finished cleaning up and came out, the two women started to go in, but the trooper stopped them. "Excuse me, ladies, I'm Mike Leland. I am the officer that was here this morning. If you don't mind, give me a few minutes. I still need to explain to him why we're here, and I'd like a chance to talk to him. I promise not to set him off."

Nan glanced at Sarah, and the two women stepped back, hoping they weren't making a mistake.

When Mike Leland stepped through Thete's door, he saw a lost young man. No longer in uniform,the officer was hoped the change was enough to keep the young man from melting down again. Once he'd found out the facts, Leland fully understood what Thete was going through, and he hoped that he could help. He met Thete's angry, mistrustful stare with a smile. Thete said nothing as Leland walked over to the wall of pictures. As he spoke,Leland kept his eyes on the photos that he was posting.

"Mr Smith, I am a Kentucky State Trooper. My name is Officer Mike Leland. You slept so much that you probably don't remember us from this morning. These pictures," Leland said with a quick glance over his shoulder, "are pictures of the officers whose faces you will be seeing." At least the kid was paying attention.

"I remember, I'm not an idiot," Thete snapped.

Ignoring the bitter anger in Thete's eyes and voice, Leland kept his tone matter of fact. "Abby says that everyone calls you Thete. If you want, we can too. Otherwise, we'll stick to formalities." He glanced over as he hung the last picture to see Thete looking away. "It seems," he continued, "that your government thinks you're important, so they have requested a protection detail to keep you safe. That's my job. As long as you are in this state, we go where you go. We will dress in civilian clothes, and our weapons will be out of your line of sight. We don't want to do anything that will upset you, but I do want you to know that we will stop anyone from harming you." Leland watched Thete's eyes following him as he moved. "That's just one reason that I needed to talk to you. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you about something else."

"About what?" Thete growled. His anger and emptiness were clearly visible to Leland.

"Flashbacks and being pissed."

Confused, Thete cocked his head at the stranger. "I know, I can't remember past my nose, but I haven't been drinking, so I know, I'm not pissed."

"Sorry, I meant angry. Here, being pissed means being mad or angry."

"Ahh, that leaves the flashbacks. I don't even understand what that means, flashbacks. It's a stupid word."

Leland pulled a chair in front of Thete. "Yeah, but it describes what happened to you this morning. Something happens; you see something or hear something, and suddenly you are in the fight of your life, and you don't know why. Your body remembers the original attack all too well-the weather, the feel of the furniture, even the taste in your mouth. The smell of your attacker fills your nose, your body feels every blow, and you hear every word they said. When it's over, you can't remember what happened, but the rage and hate left are real and deep."

"How would you know?" Thete answered defiantly.

Leland knew the young man didn't believe him. "I know - because I've been there." He saw the look in the young man's eyes change; the sullen look softened. Tears threatened, but Leland knew from personal experience that they wouldn't come, not yet. Taking a deep breath, he told him why he understood.

"Two years ago, my partner and I busted a meth lab back in a little hollow in the mountains."

"What's that?" Thete asked dully.

"An illegal drug lab. Anyway, we'd scoped the place for days. We knew how many people were in the house and who was coming and going. In addition to my partner, two local cops came with us. When we made the raid, we didn't expect a lot of trouble. There were only three people in a rundown trailer, but we didn't see two suspects hiding in the woods. To make a long story short, they caught us in an ambush. Two slugs managed to miss my vest, hitting me in the chest. One of the local deputies and my partner - died from shots to the head. They were dead before they hit the ground. For weeks, the doctors kept me from knowing how bad I'd been hurt, or that my partner was dead. When they finally told me, I threw a bedpan across the room, and it was not empty if you get my drift. I was mad for a long time, Thete, and I didn't talk to anyone, not even my wife." Leland stopped for a few seconds, lost in his own memories.

"I can still be sitting in the backyard, a firecracker will go off, and I - just freeze; I'm back there, getting shot. It lasts just seconds now, and it doesn't affect my job, but it did - for a long time. It's why I don't work investigations anymore. So, if you want to talk, and you don't want anybody to know what you have to say tell your friends or your nurse that you want to play gin, and I will be here. Okay? No matter what time of the day or night, you can call me. What you say will stay just between us."

Thete stared at him and then swallowed. "Why did they hurt her? She was just a sweet kid who tried to help me - why?"

"I don't know. It'll help when you can remember what happened, and then maybe we can find her. What do you remember?"

"An explosion and her screaming, that's it. I don't remember anything else. I can't even remember what she looked like, just her voice telling me to hold on. You have to drink, my Lord. We will get home, my Lord. I hear her in my head all the time, but I can't see her face anymore ."

"When you saw us this morning, what scared you?"

"I don't know. It just rose up like a monster from some pit. I couldn't breathe. I was in this room and ... I can't go back. I can't remember where it is or what I was doing. I just remember the pain. It never stopped. Were you afraid - when you woke up in the hospital?"

"Yeah, I was, why?"

"I - - am scared, I'm always scared. Like - - I won't find me, or worse, I will and I'll turn out to be a monster. I hate sleeping, because they're always there. Every time a door opens, I'm afraid some unknown face will shove their gun in my face, and take me back to a pit of hell that I won't get out of. I can't tell anyone because then they'll know." Thete's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Know what, son?" Leland asked gently.

Thete stared at the wall. "That I'm a coward. I'm a bloody coward, and sometimes, like this morning, I can't make it stop. I'm some bloody child that needs to be rocked. God, I am –- I am truly –- pissed," he growled.

"Thete, I won't tell you that I understand how it feels not to know who you are because I don't. I will tell you this - - you're going to stay pissed off for a while, but it does get better. One morning you'll wake up, and for just a few minutes, you won't think about it. Sometime after that, you'll smell fresh air or see a sunset, and you'll smile." Leland wanted to put a hand on the young man's shoulder, but he knew the last thing Thete wanted was for someone to touch him. He could see Thete struggling to stay in control as the young man fought the urge to cry.

"In the meantime," Leland added as he stood up to leave, "there are two things you need to know. One, you are no coward." He pointed to the scabs on Thete's knuckles. "You fought hard against the people who hurt you. Somewhere, someone has the marks to prove it. They took human tissue out of your mouth. That means you bit someone - hard. There were just too many of them. Second, if you want to talk to someone nonprofessional, but who's been there, tell your nurses to call me. Just tell them,_ I want to play Gin_."

"Gin?"

"It's a card game, but it's also code for, _I want to talk_."

"Did you want revenge?" Thete whispered, sounding deeply ashamed of the thought.

"No," Leland answered. "I wanted justice, and I got it. They were all caught, and they are sitting on death row for killing two police officers."

"I want to dip my hands in their blood." Thete looked the officer in the eyes; even the refined accent could not hide his rage. "What does that make me?"

"It makes you human, son. It makes you human."


	24. Chapter 24 The Brits are coming

Why? The question burned in his brain.

The few minutes that Wilson spent trying to explain things hadn't answered a single question. Nothing made sense. Nothing that is except the burning anger running so deep that it actually hurt. How was it possible to be so angry and so filled with hate and still breathe? Thete stared at the array of pictures that decorated his wall. They were supposed to help him connect to something, but they didn't. He was a nothing; a nonentity that had done something terrible. The name in large block letters that sat underneath the pictures was supposed to be him. That's what everyone said, but ...

Thete stared at the letters and realised that he hated Jonathan Theta Smith. Whoever he was; he was horrible enough to be chained, tortured and left for dead. He closed his eyes, reopening them a second later to stare at the stupid pictures hoping against hope that at least the star clusters would tell him something. He knew what they were; how they were configured, even how far away they were. Surely they would know his secrets. But there was nothing: they said nothing. He laid his head against the back of the chair feeling physically and emotionally drained.

He desperately wanted to see K'Nar or at least hear her voice. She was just a shadow in his mind now. A shadow with a sweet, angelic voice that gave him courage. If he could just talk to her, she would help him remember. But all he had was the wristband strapped to his cast and the precious memory of her voice calling him, her lord. Maybe, if he could see her, even if it were just for a minute, he wouldn't feel so lost and confused. He wanted to feel normal, be normal. He wanted out of here so that he could breathe fresh air. He wanted to ... run. When Nan and Sarah finally walked back in, he barely glanced at them. Instead, he stayed fixated on those damnable letters.

"Hey, Cowboy, how are you feelin'?" Nan asked lightly.

"Did your talk with Officer Leland and Doc help? They were in here for a while," Sarah asked as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Thete shrugged, "Maybe - a little," he answered with a flat tone.

"What did you talk about?" Sarah asked softly.

"Flashbacks and being -" He glanced at them and changed his language, "angry." he finished. His eyes went back to Annie's wall of pictures. "Do you know what's more beautiful than a woman?" He forced a change in his tone to hide his feelings. He also wanted desperately wanting to change the subject.

"What?" Sarah asked as she sat down on the edge of his bed as Nan took a seat next to him.

He couldn't take his eyes from the pictures. "The Spiral Galaxies. They pass each other over a million years or so, but when you see them through a telescope it reminds you of one of those fancy masks that you wear to a fancy dress party."

"Thete, are you alright?" Sarah asked anxiously.

"Yeah, sure." His answer sounded as weary and dejected as he looked. "I'm fine. I'm always fine, aren't I? Wait, I can't say that," he suddenly growled as he struggled to stay calm, "because - I can't bloody remember!" His fist smacked the arm of his recliner in a burst of uncontrolled anger. The letters seemed to jump off the wall coming straight at him. The look of concern that he received from Nan and Sarah made him wince inwardly with regret.

"Do you want to talk us?" Nan said as she ran her hand gently across his shoulder.

Her touch sent a shudder of fear through him. When Sarah patted his hand, he flinched. The responses added to the confusion and fed his anger. "Not unless you can tell me who or what the bloody hell I am," he snapped. "I know what Doctor Wilson said, but when I look at that name, the Spiral Galaxies means more to me than it does. My name is Jonathon Theta Smith, and I am from Britain. It's a stupid sign for a stupid person. I'm not him." He immediately regretted the way he sounded.

He drew a breath, scrubbed his hand across his face and changed the subject. "You know what I want?" He smiled tightly. "Jammie dodgers, I want Jammie dodgers and then I want to go see the lady next door who always cries. Maybe I can help her." Despite his effort to sound bright, he looked as drained as he felt.

Sarah stepped over to him and kissed the top of his head. "Thete, you are tired, and you've had - a - truly lousy day. Doctor Wilson wants you to try to walk, and then you need to get some rest. I'll get Abby."

Thete didn't miss the worried look that she flashed Nan. As he watched her leave, he felt like a complete heel. These two women were his favourite people in the universe, and were the very last that he wanted to upset. He had come to consider them his adopted mums. And now, he couldn't stop his muscles from jerking away from their touch. He didn't understand why all of sudden he was afraid of their hands; of Nan's hands. How could he be afraid of her hands? His guilt grew worse when she gave the same gentle smile that she always did.

"Cowboy, look at me, okay?" She called gently.

Thete barely made eye contact as he flashed what passed for a smile.

"We know that you trust us, but after this morning, your brain isn't so sure." Getting nothing but a confused expression, Nan continued. "Logically, you know that you are very safe here, but logic doesn't always trump fear. Your brain has to start over from scratch, to re-learn that our hands won't hurt you. That flashback sort of undid the trust that you built in us."

"I'm sorry, I really am, I... ." He felt stupid and small.

"I know, but this isn't your fault, and you have nothing to be sorry for. We'll get back to where we were. Give it a little time, and if things are too much, yell - well maybe not yell, but speak up. Now," she patted his arm, "I've got a surprise for you," she said with a tone suggesting something special.

"What surprise?" He turned to look at her with renewed interest.

"It came this morning. It's from the people coming from Britain. But before I show you, what did Doctor Wilson tell you?"

"He said that I was an astrophysicist and that I was born in some place called North Hampton outside of London. I worked in Cardiff. He said that when you found me, I thought that I was in Cardiff. He said that whatever happened was too much and that I folded in and pushed it all away. But ... "

"But what?

"It doesn't make any sense. None of this does." He said dully.

"Well," she handed him a folder filled with pictures and documents. "Let's see if any of this helps. I know your vision has cleared so really look at this."

Thete thumbed through the folder's stack of documents and pictures. "What is this?"

"These are the documents that they sent to Doctor Wilson to prove that they know you. Without these and copies of their passports, he wasn't going to let them in. When he told them about your amnesia, they wanted you to see them too. He said that they were very worried about you and that they had torn up Europe looking for you. A man named Jack Harkness is in charge. You were looking for a Jack, in Cardiff, do you remember?"

"Vaguely, maybe - no. I don't know any more."

Thete glanced through the pictures of a baby with older parents and a skinny older brother. He ran his hands across the picture of his supposed parents and friends, and then looked at his diplomas. For almost five minutes, he sifted through the documents and pictures. The vein in the side of his neck pulsed with every heartbeat. His jaw clinched, and he looked at her with tears in his eyes. He looked back down at the documents as if they were a part of a badly written book.

"So, what do you think?" She finally asked as she picked up a picture. He was dressed in a tux at someone's wedding. The bride had thrown herself in his lap, affecting a silly pose. They both had broad grins and looked happy.

"It's not real," he whispered. "None of this is real."

Before she could stop him, the folder with its contents hit the wall. Nan sighed deeply, and rose to pick the papers up. "That wasn't particularly helpful or grown up." She turned back around to fuss, only to see tears glistening against his badly bruised face. "Oh, honey," she murmured softly as she crossed back over to hug him.

"That's not me! I don't - I can't remember any of that! I don't know any of those people! It's not true. I don't even want to be him!"

"What - Why?" Nan sat back stunned. She drew a breath keeping her voice calm. "We know who you are, what you are. I don't understand."

"For one; these records are a lie. He's no bloody genius; he's - beyond stupid," Thete answered angrily. "He let somebody take his life away. You all said I'm not stupid, so I can't be him." A look of horror passed over Thete's face. "What if it's a trick? To get me to go back to - wherever!" Thete almost sobbed. "Nan, I don't want them here. What if I'm a thief or worse, a murderer? What if they're really coming to arrest me? I hate me, Nan. I must have done something truly bad. Look what they did to me. I don't - know - what I am." His voice trembled. "I don't know - what I did wrong. What did I do wrong? I'm so bloody tired, and I feel awful. I'm so sick of hurting. I'm sick of being scared all the time. Why can't it all just go away? Sometimes I wish ..."

"What do you wish, Cowboy?" Nan swallowed hard.

Thete glanced away, then looked back at Nan with tears running down his cheeks. "I wish ... I wish that I died with K'Nar." The words tumbled out.

"Oh, baby." Nan took the documents and laid aside. She wrapped her arms around and kissed the top of his head. "I am so sorry," she murmured. She held him for a long moment and then took a breath before speaking. "I do understand how you feel, more than you know. When my husband died, I wanted to crawl into the hole with him."

"But you didn't do anything bad. I did something, Nan, and they killed her because of it."

"Thete, you've done nothing wrong, except maybe, be in the wrong place at the wrong time. What has happened to you is not your fault. When a person is minding their own business, and a criminal invades their home or business, they haven't done anything wrong. They aren't criminals, and neither are you. Evil people did this to you and to K'Nar. The law will eventually catch them, and they will pay. You're lost right now, but you will find yourself again."

"Please, I want to go home. Not back to North bloody Hampton, but with you or Hank. He said: I can go to his farm. I like farms. I'm sure I do. Why can't I just get out of here? I don't want them here. I don't want them to take me away." Thete drew a deep breath and wiped his tears away.

"When it's time, you can come with one of us and stay as long as you like. No one, not even these folks coming, will take you out of here against your wishes. I promise, Honey. We will not let that happen."

"Why can't I go now, just for a while? I promise not to do anything stupid. Please, Nan."

"Honey, Doctor Wilson won't let us take you home yet, especially after this morning. You are just too sick."

"I can't see her face anymore." His voice cracked.

"K'Nar?" Nan's heart broke for him. She held him closer as she rest her chin on his head, snuggling him as close as possible.

He nodded. "I remember her voice, but not what she looks like. Whenever I close my eyes, I hear her in my head screaming for me to run because the bad people are coming. I couldn't do anything to stop them, Nan. I had her by the hand, and they just yanked her from me. And I couldn't do anything to stop them. I should have been able to do something."

"Hey, why are you so glum in here?" Abby said as she came through the door with a surgical shoe in her hand, and Sarah behind her. Neither missed seeing him wipe his tears away.

Embarrassed, he cleared his throat. "What do you have to torture me with?" Thete tried to quip as Nan pulled away.

"It's a shoe, troublemaker." Abby grinned back at him. "It has a foam core with the centre cut out to protect your foot. It's still going to be sore when you stand up, so I asked Nick to come help us."

"Nick, who's Nick?" He couldn't keep the distrust out of his voice. Unconsciously, he gripped Nan's hand tighter.

"We were a nurse short, so he came in to help." Abby slipped the surgical shoe on, making sure it was comfortable.

When the six-foot tall man walked in, Thete was flooded with an almost overwhelming urge to run. As he fought to push the blind panic down, he felt Nan squeeze his hand tighter. The simple gesture helped him stay in control.

"Hello, Mr. Smith, my name is Nick Crews. Abby says you might need a little help standing on both feet. Think you and I can get it done together?"

Thete glanced at Nan and then nodded. "Okay," he answered tersely. "Can I go see the lady that cries? Maybe I can help her."

"Let's get you on your feet first." Abby smiled as she nodded to Nick.

"Okay, we're not in a race so take your time." Nick stepped up. "When you're ready just lean forward, slide your right arm around my shoulder, then I will slide mine around your back and I ' ll help you stand. Once you feel steady, you can take a step. "

Thirty seconds later, Thete stood on both feet for the first time since Hank and the others pulled him out of the rain. He swallowed hard against the dizziness. The pressure on the bottom of his foot burned all the way up his leg. He wasn ' t sure walking was that great an idea. " How far do I have to go ?" Maybe visiting the crying lady could wait after all.

" How about just to the door and back ?" Abby answered.

Thete nodded and leaned heavily into Nick as he shuffled to the door. The male nurse reminded him to look at the door and not his feet to prevent dizziness. Thete never imagined ten feet could feel so far. As he turned back, he resisted Nick ' s effort to steer him back to bed.

" Thete, you have been up long enough. You don't want to be worn out when your company gets here ," Abby fussed.

"Listen to her, honey. " Nan and Sarah both agreed.

" Please, I ' m sick of that bed. I haven ' t been up that long. I ' ll take a short kip in the recliner. Please, Abby. " As his exhaustion increased, his accent grew stronger.

"Alright, but you have to do your breathing exercises and cough. Don ' t make me regret this," Abby answered firmly, but gently.

Three minutes later, with his feet up, his quilt tucked around him, with his two worried adopted mums watching, Thete gave in to the exhaustion and drifted to sleep.

Jack Wilson stood under the hospital ' s front portico, watching the late evening sun go down behind a gentle rise. Wilson loved watching the horizon turn into ever deepening shades of orange, fading to pink, then into deep shades of purple that made up the sunsets. The light reflected through the trees, allowing the deep reds and oranges of their leaves to glow. It was the perfect ending to a classic autumn day in Kentucky.

He loved this spot, where a view of the countryside brought a sense of peace. Especially on days like today, when just about everything had gone wrong. Somehow, in this spot, sunsets seemed less polluted ; reminding him that tomorrow would be better. The buzz of his cell phone interrupted his moment of peace. Perfect timing, he thought as he flipped the phone open and heard an all too familiar voice. It seemed his break was over.

" Hey Cass. Please, tell me Thete hasn't thrown a clot or had a meltdown. "

"No sir, but he worries me. His heart rates are up, and his O2 sat has dropped. He is in pain, but he's refusing his morphine , because, as he puts it : it will make him look weak. He did swallow a couple of Ibuprofen Nan and Sarah has finally talked him into meeting his visitors , but he is insisting on staying up. He actually thinks he can stand up on his feet now that he has his special shoe. Personally, I don ' t think it's possible, and I've told him no. Nan thinks he wants to intimidate them into going away."

"Say what?" Wilson chuckled. "He couldn't intimidate a newborn kitten."

"He really doesn't want them here, and it's the only way he'll let them in. When are they arriving ?"

Straightening up, he watched a black SUV pull up to the stop light just before the entrance to the hospital, then make the turn into the circle to the front of the hospital. "Actually, I think they are turning in now. Adjust his O2 back up to six litres, and get a blood gas while I meet these folks. Run an EKG on his right heart. God, I am never going to get used to saying that. If his gasses are alright, let him stay up awhile longer. Give me a few minutes to meet with them. Send security down to get their ID's on the security list. Let me know if there is anything to worry about. "

Wilson flipped the phone shut just as the car pulled up in front of him and a tall man in a vintage World War II greatcoat climbed out. He was a good looking man, with almost piercing blue eyes and a broad smile. The way he carried himself made Wilson nervous. He wasn't sure he felt safe letting this man anywhere near Thete after his comment from the plane. The rest of the group just looked tired.

"Captain Harkness ?" Wilson held out his hand and met the stranger's gaze. Hopefully, he thought as he gripped the man's strong hand, this won't be a disaster, "Welcome to Kentucky."

"Doctor Wilson ." The two men shook hands firmly. "It's good to actually meet you. This is my team. " Jack introduced each member, and followed Wilson into the hospital.

Wilson smiled when he overheard the curly headed woman mutter incredulously, my team?

o0o

"Hey again." Thete smiled at Cass as she walked back in his room. "Why are you back so soon?" He shifted restlessly in his seat,. He was truly glad for the cushion that Abby had insisted that he use.

"Trying to talk you in to doing the right thing," Cass answered as she flashed a grin at Nan and Sarah. "You need to give your skinny back-side a rest."

"We wish you better luck than we've had." The two women laughed.

"I'm fine, really, stop worrying so much," he answered cheekily

He was grateful for the gel pad as he shifted his position again.. This was the third time she'd popped in since her shift started, and he didn't want her to worry. He swallowed a bite of the homemade banana pudding that Hank had sent in with Sarah.

"See, I'm even eating, and it's good." He made a point of swallowing another bite as he leaned back against the chair.

The pudding was the first real food he'd eaten since - well he didn't know since when, but it was really good, and slid down without a lot of effort. Hank had even chopped the bananas into small bites, so he wouldn't have to chew anything with his still healing tongue. Barely able to lift his right arm to chest level, he didn ' t even mind Nan feeding him. But five bites in, he sagged back against the chair, full.

"If you're fine, why do you look all tuckered out? How's your headache?" Cass asked as she checked his blood pressure.

"Honest?"

"Unless you want me to get evil, and pitch you back in the bed whether you like it or not," Cass chuckled.

"It hurts. It's stuck behind my right eye, and my head feels as if it weighs a ton."

"Will you take two Ibuprofen?"

"Yes, gladly, but I'm not going to bed until after they come. I'm just not."

"Why not, Thete? You are sick. They stuck ..." Cass couldn't help her frustration.

"I know, Cass. It still hurts, but I will not meet them lying down - that's not happening," he answered defiantly. His forehead was damp from beads of sweat. A sudden bout of coughing brought an uncontrolled low groan. Nan and Sarah held a pillow to his ribs until he finally stopped and leaned back in the chair. "See," he said breathlessly, "I even coughed." He ignored the women as they rolled their eyes.

He smiled tightly as Cass finished and then left. Part of him was proud that he was standing up for what he wanted. Maybe it was a sign that something was getting better. Still, Thete couldn ' t shake the feeling of impending doom. He kept having flashes of images that he didn't understand. They'd started after he woke up, leaving him unsettled. Everyone wanted him to sleep, but he wanted to avoid it as long as possible. The nightmares would start, and he really didn't have the energy to deal with that. Dealing with the strangers was bad enough.

"What's running through that thick head of yours?" Nan teased gently.

"Nothing big," he answered, deciding against telling them about the images. "Just - how long do I have to talk to them?" he asked as he forced another bite of pudding.

"It's up to you. It's your chance to ask questions," Sarah answered.

"Mmm, and if I want them to leave?"

"Thete, all we are asking is that you face them and give them a chance. If you want them to leave, then we will ask them to leave, until another time. But they are not going back to Britain anytime soon. You don't get to be rude or chase them off."

Thete snorted. Nan sounded - parental. At least, she sounded the way he thought a parent would sound. He pulled a face as she fed him another bite of pudding.

"I promise that I will not be rude." he whinged.

"As long as we're at it, how about changing your mind about bed?" Nan asked lightly.

"I'm fine," he lied, trying to cover that he actually felt awful as he shifted again. He wasn't a bloody child, and he was pretty sure he could fake it awhile longer. "If I have to meet them, I'm doing it on my feet."

When Cass walked back in, Thete dutifully accepted and then swallowed the pills that she handed him. She made him breathe deeply and cough again, but he knew that his effort disappointed her. He tried, he really did. He could feel the junk rattle, making his chest hurt more. He grimaced, trying to ignore the pain when the respiratory therapist drew his blood. Having a needle stuck in his artery hurt, but he did breathe easier when she came back and increased his oxygen.

Once Cass and the therapist left, he closed his eyes, wishing Hank would hurry and come back. Five minutes later, much against his best efforts to avoid it, he dozed off dreaming of the shabby lady who sang to him in a language he shouldn't understand.

0

Doctor Wilson sat behind his desk, looking the five Brits sitting in his office. "Captain," Wilson asked, "I looked through this record, and I have a couple of questions. First, how did you wind up his guardian after his parents died?"

"Tennyson was my best friend, and I'd known Thete since he was little, so it was a no-brainer. Tenn traveled - a lot. He worked undercover for the government, and his job was dangerous. He couldn't pack Thete around the world. My job kept me at home, so I was the logical choice."

"And you raised him?"

"Since, he was nine. Well, he was away at school most of the time. I took him summers and holidays, so he could just be a kid. That's how he met Amy and Rory." Jack looked at the young couple. "It was kind of funny to watch these two try to teach the geek how to have fun."

"We've all been best mates ever since," Rory interjected. "Except when I thought that he had a crush on Amy. We had a fight over that. Well I say fight, it was more of a heated discussion."

"Why call him Doctor?" Wilson leaned back. "It seems a strange thing to call a kid."

"Not when he got his doctorate at eighteen. He was so bloody smug about it." Martha laughed. "I was just finishing my internship, and he rubbed it in that he was a doctor first. I just wanted to smack him."

"He's been Doctor ever since," Jack finished.

"So his life has basically been what - school, astrophysics and that's it? Where's his social life, his girlfriends?" Wilson asked.

"Thete is shy around most girls. They're great to have as mates, but relationships scare him. If he lets himself get too close, they go away, so for the most part, he doesn't take the chance," Martha answered.

Wilson smirked at the thought that Thete was shy around girls. He didn't have any trouble flirting with Abby and to a lesser extent Cass. The tired doctor studied the faces of his visitors. For the most part, they were quiet, letting Harkness do most of the talking, and he found that strange. Maybe they were all just tired. Their stories sounded good, and from looking at the young redhead and Doctor Song, they cared deeply for Thete. "Just one more question," Wilson tapped the papers on his desk and thought about Thete's nightmares. "Who are or were Rose and Donna ?"

"Excuse me ?" Jack and Martha said together.

"He remembers them?" Jack said softly.

" Only in his nightmares. He has called for both, but when we ask, he just gives us a blank look. "

"Rose is - was his first girlfriend. She was lost in a terrorist attack, in London. Donna," Jack inhaled sharply through his nose, "was Tennyson ' s ... friend . Thete adored her, like a big sister and mate rolled into one."

"Has he lost everyone to terrorists?" No wonder, Wilson thought, this kid gave up on his life.

"Family-wise, pretty much, but then we all have, between the battles with the IRA and other extremists who think they can take what they want. The last few years of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st were rough in Great Britain, but it's getting better." All five Brits nodded.

Wilson shook his head at the loss. Outside of inner cities, Americans had no idea how the rest of the world suffered. He flipped through the rest of the records and listened to the rest of their stories. Growing up in boarding schools made Thete too self-reliant, with disastrous consequences. His heart broke for Mrs Williams as she explained about her daughter and the rage that sent Thete off on his own to get her back. The way they told it, he used Torchwood ' s resources behind his former guardian ' s back to track her to Eastern Europe. That made Jack furious, but then he ' d disappeared. They still hadn't found the people responsible for him showing up in the States. Wilson winced when Harkness swore they would. Wilson didn't want to be in their shoes when the man caught them. He had no doubt they ' d never see a courtroom.

Wilson not only listened to their stories; he watched their faces. Amy and the older woman fought to control their tears. The young black doctor was professionally self-controlled, a tightrope he understood well. Wilson picked up his coffee and using the second that it took to swallow the luke-warm liquid, he made up his mind to let the strangers in. When he set the cup down, he took a breath.

"Before we go up, there are a couple of things you need to understand. First, Captain, you need to ditch the coat, and if you have a different shirt handy, you need to change. Anything remotely resembling a uniform will trigger a flashback, and after his morning, I can't take the risk. Second, it has taken most of the last two and a half hours to convince him to see you. You need to remember that he has no clue who you are, and he does not trust why you are here. The first sign that he's stressed, I am asking you to back off and wait. At least until tomorrow." Wilson looked straight at Jack, whose eyes shifted away. "Last, security here is tight. We're small, but we do get the odd drug deal gone wrong, and domestic abuse incidents. The orange bands you're getting have chips that grant you access to the ICU twenty-four hours a day and certain areas of the hospital. If you show up where you don't belong, a security alarm will trip, so - don't go wandering. Doctor Jones, you have access to every medical department, but not any other unit. Agreed?"

"Agreed, Doctor." Jack nodded. "Give me ten; I have a jumper in my bag."

Ten minutes later, Wilson stood outside the elevator doors, quietly chuckling as the one named Ianto muttered his apologies and headed back for the safety of the lobby. Evidently, he hated hospitals. Wilson stopped short of laughing aloud as the man told his boss, "people rarely die in the lobby, sir. "

A few minutes later, Wilson escorted the group into the unit. He couldn't help smiling with pride at Martha's stunned expression. From the surprised look in her eyes, he had no doubt that she thought that this little unit would be woefully outdated and ill-equipped. It was nice to prove her wrong. It had taken a huge fund drive, but he had spent the last two years making sure this small unit provided the very best of care with the latest equipment. The unit was a semi-circle with eight cubicles facing a curved nurse ' s station. Fifteen feet separated the rooms from the desk. In addition to the display monitors for blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart tracings and a patient's oxygen levels, each room had a live video feed, keeping the patients under constant visual supervision. The medicine room was located behind the desk. The unit had a lounge for nurses and a call room for any doctor spending the night. A family conference room was at the end of the unit.

At the nurses ' station, the five travellers showed their wristbands to the clerk who dutifully added them to her list. It was easy to spot his room. A young man dressed in jeans and gray sweatshirt with a UK emblem sat outside room seven's door. He sat with his arms crossed, studying the visitors with a wary eye. The outline of a weapon was plainly visible under the shirt.

"That's Tim Hastings," Wilson informed them. "He's the evening State Trooper. They're dressed in civvies for the same reason that I asked you to change yours, Captain." Wilson didn't miss the way the group stared at Thete's door. "After this morning, the nurses have worked hard to keep things calm. We closed the curtains because we don't want him stewing about when you would be walking in. I want this introduction done quietly and - controlled. Not just for Thete's sake but the other patients as well."

"We understand, Doctor." Martha nodded as she elbowed Jack for snorting.

The travellers stepped up to the desk to meet a straight faced staff. "Cass, how's he doing?" Wilson nodded at the expressionless nurse.

"He's quiet: still won't take anything for his pain." Her answer was professional, and no one missed the cold look she gave the strangers.

"This," He nodded at Martha, "is Doctor Jones. Show her everything we have, including the EKG and blood gas you ran earlier. Doctor Jones, I am leaving you in good hands. I'm sure you understand that I can't let you write orders until I've received final verification on your licence and DEA number, so - I have to make yet another call." He smiled pleasantly and ignored her surprise.

"Uh, thank you, Doctor Wilson." Martha nodded as she accepted Thete's chart from the nurse who looked like she trusted them about as far as she could throw them, and watched the man walk away.

While Martha became engrossed in the record, no one noticed as Amy fell to the outside of the group, feeling like an outsider. At least, Rory understood the medical mumbo-jumbo. She paced in front of the station casting glances at his room and the man sitting at the door. The Doctor would hate someone that close to him with a gun. She wondered about the expression her Raggedy Man would have if he even saw the gun. His face, she missed his silly face. They'd made three jumps to this place and she still hadn't seen his face. She was not used to taking a backseat in the Doctor ' s life.

When an elegant middle-aged black woman dressed in a neat pantsuit approached her, she flashed a tired smile. Amy knew the woman before she even spoke.

"Hello," The woman held her hand out. " we're glad you got here safe and sound. I ' m Sarah Munson. "

"Hello," Amy said, unsure of why she felt so nervous in this woman's presence. "I'm Amy Pond-Williams. You found him. Doctor Wilson said."

"Technically my husband did," Sarah answered with a delicate laugh. "Welcome to our little corner of Kentucky, Amy Pond-Williams," Sarah said warmly.

"Thanks, really. You sound... "

"Southern? I'm from South Carolina. Wait 'til you hear Hank, he's from Mississippi. Living here has softened our accents considerably. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee ?" Sarah asked.

"Tea would be brilliant," Amy answered.

" Good, we stocked up this afternoon. When Thete proved he could handle a Popsicle, Doctor Wilson let him drink tea. Of course, he fussed because it was lukewarm."

Amy shifted her attention back to everyone standing at the desk. Sarah ' s eyes followed.

" When he thought that he would get into trouble, "Amy said quietly, " he sent a message to Rory and me for help. None of this would have happened if not for me, and now my very best friend doesn ' t even know who we are." Amy drew a deep breath. She brought her attention back to the woman in front of her. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. It's been a long month, and I'm really..." Her Scottish accent thicker than usual. She knew she had to get a grip, before she saw the Doctor.

"Tired and angry? I think, considering things, you have every right to feel that way. Did Thete know he was headed into trouble?"

"He just said someone was after his project; he didn't expect what happened. There was no way to expect that. We really do appreciate that you have taken such good care of him. We weren't so sure."

"If someone that I loved was injured and sick in a foreign country, I wouldn't be so sure either."

"Is he alone ? He ' s rubbish alone," Amy asked softly.

" No, he's never alone for more than a few minutes, unless Doctor Wilson orders something special like a CT Scan or his trip to the Cath Lab this morning. One of us stays around the clock. Nan Carson is with him now. We want you to know, we have come to care a great deal for him. He brings out the parental response in all of us. You need to understand that he ' s unsure about meeting you, so you need to put on a good face. "

"Do I look that bad ?" Amy asked as she finally smiled at the woman.

" You look tired and worried." Sarah laid a comforting hand on Amy's arm. "Why don ' t you sneak your husband away and come with me ?"

Amy tugged Rory away from the others and introduced him to Sarah.

"Rory, this is Sarah Munson. Her husband rescued ... Thete. "

"Um, Hi. Thank you. " Rory shook the older woman ' s hand. " Tell him, thank you - for all of us. "

"You can tell him, yourself. He ' s on his way back. He just needed a bit of a break. "

"Is he alright? Your husband I mean. " Rory asked.

" He ' s fine. He was angry after Thete's flashback and then when they had to take him to the Cath Lab, he got more than a little upset, so I sent him home. We ' ve sort of adopted Thete. " She laid a hand on Amy's arm, " So - - that makes you, part of our family," she said warmly. " I should warn you, we ' re bit clingy when it comes to our kids. You ' ll be glad to know that between Nan and I, you have several semi-adopted brothers with their wives and kids. The holidays at our houses are a blast. Now, come with me. "

Sarah ushered the couple around the crowd at the station and toward Thete ' s room. For a second, she stopped and introduced them to the small group of families wanting to see the visitors from Britain. Amy was surprised that the other families would care about their arrival, or that they worried over Thete. When Sarah introduced the young couple to the officer, she shrank back as the man rose to meet them. Despite his move to open the door for them, his withering gaze made her feel like they were all about to be arrested.

"Thete, honey, your company is here," Sarah said brightly as they stepped through the door.

Rory and Amy both felt like they were back in Leadworth on that first day, about to do battle with the Atraxi.


	25. Chapter 25 Bow Ties Are Cool

Thete wasn't sure what to expect when Sarah said those two little words that sent his hearts pounding, "they're here." She kissed the top of his head and went out to the desk to meet them, leaving him literally clutching Nan's hand. His stomach went all funny with butterflies as if he were waiting for a blind date to show up. In a way, he guessed that was exactly what was happening.

He'd dozed for a while, and now he was stiff, sore, and trying not to grunt as he straightened up. Nan put his footrest down, and helped him to sit up straight; hopefully he wouldn't look as pathetic. That was a little hard with a bag hanging on the side of the chair, an IV in his arm and a heart monitor quietly beeping out a double samba in the background, but at least he intended to try. He heard the worry in her voice as she spent the next fifteen minutes chatting about her dog, Harry, but Thete wasn't listening. Finally, the door opened, and there they were. Two strangers looking as nervous as he felt.

"You'll be fine, but push your button if it gets too much," Nan said quietly as she stood up. "We're just on the other side of the door; Tim is there too."

He shot her a puzzled look. "He's the officer who took Mike's place," she explained.

Thete just nodded as she kissed the top of his head. He noticed that even when nervous, Nan always spoke warmly, even when saying hello to the strangers. He swallowed reflexively when she left them - alone - staring at each other.

His mouth went dry, and he couldn't seem to form any words. The two strangers looked first at each other and then at him, making him even more nervous. For several seconds (that felt like hours), no one spoke. Unable to take the silence, he finally found his voice. "Hullo," he murmured so softly that they almost didn't hear him.

"Hey you, and what time do you call this?" The woman half chuckled.

She was young, Thete guessed she wasn't much older than Annie, and looked as nervous as he felt. Long, coppery hair fell around her face and shoulders. She was pretty, maybe a little too pretty to be with a man whose most distinctive feature was his nose. But if the way she clutched his hand meant anything, they were together. Her choice of clothes seemed a bit sexy to come to hospital. She was dressed in a blouse and short skirt with a jacket. Thete felt strange thinking like this. He wasn't sure Nan or Sarah would approve. Before Thete could blink, they both crossed the room and invaded his space.

"You look rubbish," She fussed gently as she knelt in front of him.

His hearts pounded, and his breath quickened. His face grew hot in anticipation of her touch. He jerked back and glared when she leaned closer brush the hair back out of his eyes. The thought of them so close was uncomfortable enough, but her touch was intimate and he didn't like it. She got the hint and drew her hand back, but he still wished that he was strong enough to pull the lever, so the footrest would come back up. He glanced at the call button resting in his lap. One push, and everyone, including his protector would be in and throw the strangers out. He just swallowed, and looked at them.

"I have something for you." She reached into her pocket and laid a bow tie in his lap. "You never go anywhere without your bow tie. It makes you look cool."

Thete fingered the tie and gave her a quizzical look. This girl wasn't at all what he expected. "I don't know you, either of you," he said defiantly. "You should know, I'm not leaving here. I can fight if I have to, just ask the nurses I've kicked off me." He tried to sound strong, but even to his own ears, the words came across weak and tired.

Must be my day to make women cry, he thought, when tears rimmed her eyes. It wasn't his intent to make the stranger cry, he just didn't want them to think that he was an easy target. The man dropped down next to her, sending Thete rigid at the prospect that the man would touch him.

"Sorry," he said softly, "I didn't mean to startle you. So - how many did you kick off?" The man asked with a tone of disbelief.

Thete forced strength back into his voice. "Abby said it was seven," He answered with a note of pride in his voice.

"I believe you," the girl giggled gently and then changed to a tender tone. "We are not going to make you do anything or go anywhere that you don't want. My name is Amelia Pond-Williams, and this - - stupid face is my husband, Rory, and you ... You are my - - our very best friend. We've looked everywhere for you ... for weeks. By the time we reached the hell-hole you were in, you were already gone. I'm so sorry that we were late and that you were hurt."

"I don't remember you, I don't. I don't remember that - place or what they did." Thete tried to keep his voice steady, but an image of fists punching him made him flinch, almost in anticipation of a coming blow.

"You don't have to remember. Don't even try," Rory said gently. "Eventually, when you're better, you will. For now, though, Amy is right. You do look rubbish. Let me get your nurse and get you back in bed. You look bloody exhausted."

"No." Thete locked eyes with the man. "Nan and Sarah said there were five of you." This time, Thete forced himself to sound stronger. "I want to meet them properly, standing on my feet. Not like some ... I am not a coward." Thete looked the man straight in the eye, making his meaning clear.

Rory shifted to his knees and swallowed hard. "No - you're not. Not now, nor have you ever been a coward," Rory answered, incredulous of the very thought. "Sometimes you are a right pain in the arse, maybe a bloody idiot occasionally."

Amy gave a breathy chuckle, "You're always a bloody, impulsive idiot."

Rory snorted, "You're also a stubborn git, but a coward, no - you're not. Because of you, I have Amy. You saved my life twice. If you want to meet the rest of us on your feet, I will help you, but then you have to take something for your pain and go to bed, and you can't refuse, okay? I know you, Doctor, and I know you are rubbish at looking after yourself." He chided gently.

Thete clenched his hand to stop it from shaking. He tried to force some element of strength back into his voice, to stop the quiver that he knew was there. "That's not my name." He insisted crisply.

"It's your nickname. For us, you are Doctor." Amy pushed her own hair behind her ear.

_Good,_ Thete thought, _I'm making them nervous._

"I saw that file someone sent to Doctor Wilson," he snapped. "That's not me. I don't remember anything in that file. The pictures, the diplomas, none of it is me. I saw the pictures of the people someone claims is my family, and I saw yours. I saw the pictures of me at your wedding, but I can't remember a wedding. None of it is real," Thete challenged scornfully.

The tears in the woman's eyes made him feel sorry for her. "I'm sorry, but I'm not your friend," he said firmly.

"Oh, you ... You are my dearest friend," Amy countered gently. "You, Rory and me - - we're a team. I'm so sorry that they took that away from you," Amy answered sadly as she wiped her tears.

Thete heard the pain in her voice which added to his own confused feelings. They did all seem happy in the pictures. "Alright then," Thete said contemptuously, "If you are such good friends, answer me a question."

"Anything." Amy smiled while she rubbed the bruise on his hand.

Thete wished she'd stop; it was too sore, and finally he pulled his hand back. He heard her hitch a breath. "Where were you?" he asked accusingly. "Doctor Wilson said that I'm British. How did I get in front of a light in an alley, in America? Who did this to me? What crime did I commit?" he finished bitterly.

Thete froze when she suddenly laid her head in his lap. He could feel her tears land on his gown. His hand hovered above her head, unsure of where to land, finally settling on the arm rest. He shot a perplexed look at Rory, expecting him to make her move. Instead, she stayed there, talking.

Amy's voice was filled with sorrow and regret. "We back-packed around Europe for a year when Rory and I decided to get pregnant, and then I lost my ... anyway, you made us go home to Leadworth, and you decided to spend some time on a project. You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't commit any crime."

Her breath hitched as she answered. "Almost a month ago, you sent us a message that someone was trying to interfere with your project, and then you - just - disappeared. We got some friends together to find you. Your Uncle Jack works for the government and he pulled out all the stops to find you, but you were gone. We don't know how or why they smuggled you to the States."

His interest suddenly peaked. "What project? Was it called tardis?"

Amy's head popped up. "Do you remember the TARDIS?"

"No. I said something, about something called tardis, and that it would hurt people. Doctor Wilson keeps asking if I remember what it is, but I don't. You might tell him, so he'll stop asking me. 'Cos frankly - it's annoying."

"Doctor, it was - - is your special energy project," Rory answered.

Thete wondered why the man looked disappointed about a project that wasn't even his, and why he couldn't get a name right. "First, I've already told you; my name isn't Doctor. I don't like it. Anyway, it's a stupid nickname," Thete snapped.

What was it with these two? he thought.

"So, I built a project that could hurt people?" he asked huskily.

"It would hurt people only if it's misused," Rory explained, "and you would never let that happen."

"This uncle, what does he do for the government?" So far these people and their answers were as confusing as the stupid portfolio.

Rory inhaled sharply before he pushed on with a the lie that Jack was an uncle. "He works for a group called Torchwood. It keeps Britain safe. Doctor, what do you remember about K'Nar?"

Thete's eyes snapped up to meet Rory's. "How? Do you know about her?" he asked coldly.

"She was in - - she was in the compound where you were held. Do you remember?" Rory kept his voice professional.

Thete looked away, wishing they just would go away. "She's gone," he said bitterly. "I promised to take her home and ... they pulled her away from me."

In his heart, he knew they were both lying, yet he couldn't understand how they even knew about her. To stay calm in front of these strangers, he closed his eyes. "Her screams ... I hear them ... in my head every time I close my eyes. She screams that the bad people are coming, and then she goes silent. She's dead. I promised her. I promised to take her home, and now she's dead." He opened his eyes again. "Did you find her body in that place? Is that how you know her?" He levelled a cold glare at the two.

"No, oh God, no," Amy almost sobbed. "We swear, she's not dead. She did go home. Her parents have hidden her. She begged us to find you."

Thete looked back at his wall. "You're lying."

"Doctor, look at us - - please," Rory asked.

When Thete looked back, his eyes were dark.

Rory started. "She's a brave, sweet kid. She looks so delicate, but she is tenacious, with the strength of a footballer."

"Do you remember her hair? She has long - -" Amy interrupted.

"Black, her hair is black, and she wore it in a braid. She has green eyes and a voice that's like music." Thete closed his eyes as he remembered the little girl he adored. Distracted, he didn't jerk back when Amy brushed his hair back and wiped a stray tear away.

"See, we're not lying," she said gently.

"Now," Rory interrupted, "you have a date. Amy, give us three minutes, and then get everyone in here. Come on Doctor, let's get you sorted and then bed."

"I told you, that's not my name," he growled. "My name is Thete. Why do you keep calling me that?"

Amy glanced at her husband. To Thete, it seemed that she was struggling almost as much as he was, but Doctor wasn't his name and they were making him angry.

"We're sorry, but we have called you that for a long time." She flashed a tight smile. "It started out as a joke because you were so smug about getting your doctorate at 18, and Rory was just getting in university. Now - - it's who you are." Amy chuckled as she stood up and leaned over to kiss Thete's cheek.

Thete winced and pulled back from her touch. His whole face was still sore, and she had no right to kiss him. It was insulting that a stranger would be that forward. He was pretty sure that it wasn't proper. He put his thumb on the button, and didn't move it until she backed away.

"I'm not," he whispered.

"You're not what?" Rory asked, perplexed.

Thete looked at them squarely. "I'm not your friend," he said firmly. "I don't know how you found out about K'Nar, or what you really want, but I'm not your doctor friend."

Amy flashed a sad smile at her husband as she stood up. "I'll be right back," she said as she headed for the door.

"Am I really an astrophysicist?" Thete asked when she had left.

"Yeah, you are. I've learned a lot about the universe from you," Rory answered.

o0o

Amy made sure the door had closed behind her before she let out a soft gasp of pain. The sureness of his statement stabbed at her heart, forcing her to lean against the wall. She squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears. She couldn't let her overwhelming heartbreak drown her. She needed to focus on what was important. He was alive. He was alive and relatively in one piece. He would be the Doctor again, soon enough. She would help him remember, and until then, she had him back, and he was safe. When she opened her eyes, the two American women were standing in front of her. Nan opened her arms, and Amy walked into her embrace. "I have my boys back. Thank you," she sobbed.

"How did he do, love?" Nan asked.

"He's afraid of us. He flinched - well, actually jerked away, when I touched him ... as if he thought that we would hit him." She made no effort to hide her bitter heartbreak. "He doesn't remember anything. I was really hoping when he saw me that he would remember something about us. I think, we did get him to accept that we at least met K'Nar, but the rest is..." She paused as her breath hitched. "He is tired, but he's a stubborn git, and he wants to see the others."

"We should have explained that you shouldn't touch him. After his flashback, he's having a hard time." Nan laid a hand on Amy's arm to comfort her.

"Amy," Sarah spoke gently, but firmly, "We need to get him in bed. He's more than tired; he's exhausted. He's been up for three hours because he wouldn't go to bed until you got here."

Amy drew a breath and nodded. Knowing that they had him back lifted a little of the weight off her shoulders. Clearing her throat, she called across to the rest of the group. "Oi, you lot. The Doctor is in, and he will see you in three minutes." She grinned at the surprised looks on the others' faces. She did feel a certain amount of pride that she had beat them to the punch for once.

Rory pasted a smile on his face, pulled open a drawer and found a grooming kit someone had given Thete. He pulled out the comb and showed it to him. "Can I?" When he got a nod, he slid it gently through Thete's hair. Rory found the sight of his friend's bruised scalp with the accompanying missing patches of hair beyond infuriating. He forced his emotions as deep as possible before he leaned over to clip the bow-tie to Thete's gown. "There, now you almost look like you," he chuckled.

"I wear this thing?" Thete asked in disbelief.

"Well, yours is actually a silk one that you tie instead of clip on, but yeah, you do. If your face isn't too sore, I can do a quick shave? You've got a bit of a five o'clock shadow going," Rory offered. He fought to keep the anger out of his voice and off his face. He knew the bruises that he could see were nothing compared to the ones hidden by the gown, robe and coverlet on Thete's lap.

"No, Hank does that," Thete answered with a note of disgust in his voice.

"Well then, you're properly sorted. Ready to stand up and meet the rest of us?"

Thete nodded tersely, trying hard not to groan as he stood up.

"Okay, just lean into me. You can stand for a minute and then you have to go to bed."

Rory tried to sound cheery, but as Thete nodded and tried to stand, his prominent ribs and vertebrae combined with his raspy breathing sent Rory's mind wild with thoughts of revenge. It stood as a testament to his friend's 900 years-plus life that he wasn't bloody catatonic. With his arm around Thete's thin waist, he knew that when the time came, he would have no trouble shoving the bastards who'd done this out of an airlock. They both faced the door just as it opened. Thete swallowed his groan as three new people walked in followed by an angry nurse.

Rory remembered that her name was Cass, and made a mental note to apologise for over-stepping his bounds, but first he would introduce Thete to his own best friends. "Doc ... Thete, the big guy is your uncle. His name is Jack Harkness. The lovely lady in the leather jacket is Doctor Martha Jones, who is your doctor back home, and the lady with curly hair is your very close friend, River Song."

The sight of the bow-tie brought a breathy chuckle from River. "Well then, soldier, how goes the day?" River smiled warmly at the man she loved. It hurt Rory to see the pained expression in his daughter's eyes.

"Hey Doc, how ya doin'?" Jack saluted and tried to step closer, but Rory shook his head as he felt Thete pull back.

Rory looked at his own feet while the confusion on Thete's face grew as he searched the strangers faces, and finally heard him draw a pained breath. "You're Jack - do you live in a place called Cardiff?" Thete asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Yeah, I do." Jack's voice had a note of hope.

Thete squeezed his eyes tight and then looked at him. "Hank and Doctor Wilson said that I wanted a Jack to help me get K'Nar back, but I don't know; I don't remember saying that." He glanced over at River. "I - don't remember you, any of you."

"We know you don't," Jack sad with a hint of sadness in his voice. "It's okay. When you feel better, it'll come."

"What happened to the ginge?" Thete asked, glancing over at the door.

"Um, she's getting tea."The crack in River's voice as she spoke broke Rory's heart. Feeling Thete pull back when she tried to step a bit closer compounded the feeling. The longing in her eyes just to touch him was apparent to everyone but Thete.

"She said that you saw K'Nar - - that's she's alive?" he asked hesitantly.

"We do know her, and I swear to you, Doc, that girl is alive and safe. She's with her family. She asked us to find you," Jack answered.

"Then - - bring her here. If she's alive, bring her back to me," Thete demanded.

"I-can't, Doc," Jack stammered. "Her parents have hidden her."

"Right - sure," Thete shot back sarcastically. "Don't call me Doc. Hey, Cass?" He smiled at the nurse who stepped beside him.

Rory nodded toward the door, signalling the end of the visit.

"Look." Jack swallowed. "Martha is your doctor back home, and we're going to scoot out of here so she can see you. Is that alright with you?"

"Thete, bed ... now." Cass ordered as she slid an arm around his waist. "Captain, Miss Song, if you don't mind."

Thete found himself leaning heavily into Rory. His legs burned with the effort of standing, making it almost impossible to keep his knees from buckling. He felt Cass tighten her grip around his waist. Thete grimaced as they eased him back around to the bed. The very act of just standing left him too exhausted to notice or even care who stayed in the room. Rory was supporting most, if not all, of his weight as they peeled his dressing gown off, a fact that not only made him uncomfortable but a little mad at himself. He was absolutely, completely exhausted. He should be stronger than this, and he hated that he wasn't. When he glanced up at Cass, he was tempted to smirk about his success, but the look on her face was all that was necessary to know - he was in trouble. What was the word Mike used? Pissed off? Yep - - that's what Cass was - - pissed off. He looked back at the man called Rory who looked - - contrite. Thete giggled, getting a quizzical look in return. God, he has a big nose, Thete thought, wondering if it got in the way when he kissed the ginge.

"Who are you - - really?" His voice had weakened considerably.

"I am definitely your friend." Rory laughed. "Maybe it would be better to say that you are mine. You have taught me a lot."

Thete wondered if he sounded properly British, like Rory. "About the stars?" he asked, still confused why he should trust this stranger.

"And about other stuff," Rory replied quietly. "I told you once that you made people a danger to themselves because they wanted to impress you, but I was wrong. You have some weird ability to make people want to stand up for something. You always want to help make things better. This time, it's my turn to help you, to help make things better for you. Now - we're going to get you sorted, and then Doctor Jones will check you out. You'll like her."

"You seem to know what you're doing. Are you a nurse?" Cass asked tersely as they laid him down.

"Yeah, actually I am," Rory answered as he straightened Thete's catheter tubing so it wouldn't pull.

"Then you should know better than to stand a patient up who is as sick as Thete is, without permission!" Cass retorted hotly.

"I am sorry," Rory apologised. "I'm used to doing what he wants, and he really wanted to meet everyone on his feet."

"I know what he wanted, and we said no. Maybe, you should learn to do the same!" Cass snapped.

"Don't be mad, Cass," Thete interrupted. "He just listened." He felt himself drifting, but didn't want Cass mad. His headache was back, making it harder to stay focused.

"Thete, you know why we didn't want you pulling this. It was bad enough that you stayed up this long. Now, we'll get you settled and then you're taking your morphine. While I'm gone, your friend," she glared at Rory, Despite her anger, she managed to keep her voice gentle, "Rory the nurse is going to make you cough. Got it?" she ordered.

"Yes ma'am." Thete smiled cheekily. "You going to tell Hank on me?"

"Oh yeah," She answered tenderly as she adjusted his oxygen and checked his sats.

Martha walked back in just as they finished tucking Thete back into bed. Her friend looked bloody awful. She had to dig deep to plaster a smile on her face as she walked up next to Rory. She thanked the American nurse who just glared and then walked out of the room. Martha recognised the look of a nurse that was not at all happy about leaving her patient alone with the foreigners. Martha chuckled at the thought; she understood all too well how the woman felt.

Putting her physician face on, Martha turned her attention to her friend. He looked impossibly young. He was also feverish, short of breath and in pain. K'Nar had caused many more problems than just wiping his memories, and it did seem that Rory's assessment on the plane might just be correct. His eyes didn't hold even a glimmer of recognition. Even when he'd used the chameleon arch, the ship left him with enough memory to recognise her. Now his eyes held nothing but mistrust.

"You've managed to get yourself in a state, haven't you?" Martha brushed his damp hair back out of his eyes. She couldn't imagine how sore his face was, or how much his jaws ached.

"Is that how you greet all your patients? What kind of doctor are you anyway?" Thete shifted to see her better. "Are you really my doctor?"

"Yes, it is how, I greet my patients, and I am a good one. And yes, back home, I am your doctor ... and your friend. Can I..." Martha asked before she lifted his gown to expose his chest. She forced a smile as she pulled out her stethoscope to listen. He flinched when she laid the stethoscope against his bruised chest. The tiny flinch hurt almost as much as the time he shoved her out of the room at that stupid school for boys. It was hard to keep her face pleasantly expressionless as she listened to his hearts race and his lungs crackle with each breath. When she slipped the stethoscope around her neck, her fingers unconsciously reached to brush the mop of unruly hair away from his eyes. His sweaty skin burned against her hand . These strangers would never realise how hot he felt. They'd just think he had a low-grade fever. To confirm her worst fears for his condition, Martha slipped out the TARDIS bio scanner and pressed a button at the bottom. The device elicited a green light as she scanned every inch of Thete's body including the bottom of his feet.

"What is that?" His eyebrows knitted together momentarily fascinated as he held his hand out.

Martha handed it to him and glanced at Rory. They both hoped that he would recognise the technology.

"It's a bio scanner. " When did I become such a good liar, she thought as she spoke, "You invented it for Torchwood and UNIT for use by medics in Afghanistan. Budget cuts side-tracked it, so it's a one of a kind, but we still use it. "

"What does it show you about me ?" He handed it back without any sign that he recognised the piece of TARDIS technology.

Martha was disappointed that the only thing showing in those tormented green eyes was pain. " I will let you know after I get a sample of your blood and talk to Dr Wilson, okay? That was your question. Now, I have a couple. First, where did you get this quilt? It's beautiful."

"Sarah made it. She's an artist. She knits too and sells it on-line. Is that it?"

"Not hardly. Where do you hurt ? "

Thete snorted. "It's easier to ask where I don't hurt. Worst, I have a headache, my chest hurts, and my shoulder is killing me. Everywhere else just sort of aches."

"Okay." Martha glanced at Rory and mentally crossed her fingers, hoping she didn't push him too far. "What's your absolute clearest memory before waking up here ?"

Martha watched Thete's face ; he struggled to find the answer, and then she saw anger replace the pained look in his eyes.

"You said two questions, but Nan said I had to be polite. I remember a light and my friend screaming. I don't remember anything else, " he snapped.

"Do you remember your name or why we call you Doctor?"

For just a second, Martha thought she saw something spark, but the look of confusion quickly turned to anger. So much for not pushing him too far.

"My name is Thete! T-H-E-T-E. It's not Jonathan whatever, or Doctor, or that stupid Doc. It. Is. Thete!" His voice raised several notches. "I don't know if I have a mum and dad, or a family or a job. I don't remember you, not any of you! I saw that portfolio, none of it made sense. I don't remember that scanner thing or making it. I just remember the stars, K'Nar and my friends here. Get out of here and leave me alone! Go back to Britain! I'm not leaving here until I want to. I can still fight if I have to! Just ask the people I've kicked off me. Hank! Where's Hank?" The yelling sent him into a spasm of coughing.

"Calm down," Martha said gently as she laid the scanner aside and readjusted his oxygen. When he was breathing easier, she shut of the scanner and slipped the device in her pocket. " I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." She flashed a worried look at Rory as she tried to keep her worry from the man who was now a patient who didn't trust her. "We'll talk to Doctor Wilson. "

As they turned to leave, they were startled by an older black man walking in looking less than pleased with what he'd heard.

"That was rude, Thete. I could hear you outside. Now, apologise," Hank said quietly.

"Sorry," Thete mumbled, sounding like a grumpy teenager than someone with an over 900 year-old soul.

"Hi, I'm Martha Jones, and this is Rory Williams," Martha said as she chuckled. They both shook the man's hand.

"Sorry, he's a little cranky. But I'm glad that he can hear people who sound like him. It threw him for a loop when he first heard a bunch of Kentuckians talkin ' to him." Hank made his way to Thete. " How are you feeling, son ?"

"I'm tired, and I hurt, Hank. I don't like her, make her go away - now. " He grimaced, sounding exhausted. "Sarah said that you were working out your angst?"

"You're sick, but you don't get to be rude to women. Remember, that's the one rule you don't break. Being rude to women will tend to get you slapped. Cass is bringing something for your pain. " He chuckled as he caressed Thete's head. "And for future reference, angst is wife code for chores. Now, I'm here; try to get some sleep. "

It was obvious to Martha and Rory that this man truly cared for Thete. To Martha, he sounded remarkably like a dad talking to his cranky teenage son. That broke Martha's heart. For a man as brilliant as her friend, regardless of how young he looked in this incarnation, to have collapsed so far was simply unfathomable.

Hank pulled the chair close to the bed and nodded his head toward the door, leaving Martha and Rory to head for the door. Both watched Thete turn on his side to get closer to Hank for the gentle touch of his hand stroking his head. Almost immediately, he closed his eyes and tuned their presence out.

As the door closed behind them, they looked at each other with tight smiles. On the one hand, they felt much like errant school children who had just been dismissed by their headmaster. While superiors certainly had dismissed Rory in the past, it had been a long time since anyone dared to dismiss Martha Jones. On the other, they were both grateful that for as evil as the universe could be, it could also be incredibly kind. Before stepping away, they heard Hank's deep voice. Ignoring the officer outside the door, they leaned in to listen, and smiled.

Hank was singing Thete to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26 Jack versus Hank

Wilson sat in the nurses' lounge sipping lukewarm coffee while tapping his cellphone with his index finger willing the thing to ring. One thing was sure about this day; his wife would kill him when she found out how much coffee he'd drank. She always fussed when he drank too much, claiming it kept him up at night. Doctors should know better, she would say. Well, for now, he needed the caffeine. Having just passed his 55th birthday, the long hours required of the Chief of Emergency Medicine, combined with a private practice, were getting harder. The tired ache between his shoulders mixed with waiting for this last phone call was as a good excuse as any for letting his mind wander over the international intrigue that he and this little unit's staff found themselves mixed up with. This whole thing was just downright - - weird.

The time he'd spent talking to their visitors, Wilson had the impression that Harkness thought he might be a bit naive about the workings of the world. If he did, then Harkness was wrong. The minute Harkness threatened to take Thete out of the hospital, Wilson called in favours from several old friends still in military intelligence to check these folks out. To be on the safe side, he'd even talked to two friends who were still at the State Department. Wilson was taking no chances that these strangers could have belonged to the very group that hurt Thete. Whoever had tortured Thete must have thought the tardis thing would make one hell of a weapon. That bill certainly could fit Harkness.

What his friends reported back placed him squarely in the middle of what amounted to international intrigue. He discovered that this so-called Torchwood was an over one hundred year old British agency surrounded by so much secrecy that it was unfathomable. Wilson discovered two things: one, the agency was started by Queen Victoria. Evidently, they came before the British Secret Service by some twenty years. The second thing he discovered was that the only tangible evidence anyone had that Jack Harkness actually existed was his passport and an impossibly strong connection to 10 Downing Street.

As he waited on his last phone call verifying Jones' Kentucky licence and DEA number, he mulled over his opinion of the folks that now stood in his unit. Except for the young couple, they were all - - weird. While he no longer worried that this group intended to harm Thete, Wilson still didn't trust Harkness. There was a cold, calculating man sitting behind those ice-blue eyes and that smarmy smile. He was not a man who made empty threats. His threat to take Thete out of the hospital was one that he easily could carry out, and that ... that kind of power was scary.

The Song woman was just as big a mystery. There were no tax records, school records or even police records to show that she existed. It seemed the only making her real was a little thing called a passport. Wilson figured she worked for some CIA type agency. That made her exactly what - a spy maybe? River Song probably wasn't even her name. The two kids apparently led normal British lives. The husband had a record of employment as an R.N., first in Leadworth, and then in London. The last couple of years were a bit spotty, but they would be if they were off back-packing the world. That was actually the only thing that made sense.

That left Doctor Martha Jones. Her medical reputation, both as a private M.D., and for the work she did for the U.N. was impeccable But at her age, which Wilson guessed to be about thirty, she should just be finishing her residency. Instead, she worked as Medical Director for another secret agency, only this one belonged to the United Nations. His State Department contact told him that Homeland Security approved her to practice medicine in the U.S. without question before her plane left British airspace and that was unheard of.

Wilson took another sip and gagged on the now cold coffee. Finally, the tinkle of Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA signalled what he hoped was the answer. Two minutes later, he thanked the voice on the other end; he had his verification. Wilson closed the cell phone, scrubbed his hands over his face as he drew a breath, and decided he would make a terrible spy. All this intrigue mixed with too much coffee was giving him heartburn. He popped an antacid and headed back out. He had to keep this group content enough not to try to move his patient. No matter who or what Thete was before, he was now a frightened, sick kid.

When he returned to the nurses station, he was struck by three things: a worried group/family, two curious staff members standing around when they should be doing something else, and one dark-haired, blue-eyed nurse shooting daggers at all of them. Cass had a temper that just about everyone who worked on this unit had experienced at one time or another. One look at her face told Wilson that she was genuinely struggling to keep under control. When Wilson joined the group, he shot an angry glare at the two gawkers, sending them back to work as he stepped next to the young nurse and pulled her aside.

"They're legit," he whispered.

"So her orders are valid? I have to follow them?" She frowned.

"Well, I expect you to use your instincts, just like you always do. Call me if anything looks weird, but yeah, you have to follow her orders. I'll co-sign the chart," he assured her.

He got a snort with a shrug of resignation in return. She wasn't happy the strangers would have any say in Thete's care, but she was a professional who was very good at her job. Wilson knew that she would follow Jones' orders, but he'd love to be a fly on the wall at report in the morning.

Wilson turned his attention to Nan and Sarah. He was concerned about the two older, strong-willed, determined women. After spending nearly nine hours of an emotional roller coaster ride with Thete, they looked exhausted. Wilson no more than wished Hank would come back to send their butts on home when the man walked through the door. He looked far calmer than when he left. Sarah immediately joined her husband to catch him up. A minute later, the sound of Thete's angry voice brought the trooper outside his door to his feet.

Hank shook his head as he headed for the room, reassuring the officer, who sat back down. "I've got it."

Three minutes later, the young doctor and the young man with her joined them at the desk. Wilson relaxed when no further sounds came from Thete's room.

"Well Doctor Jones, what did you find?" He asked when the young doctor walked up to them. He noticed the look of worry as soon as she walked from Thete's room up to the station.

"Actually, if we could talk in private I'd appreciate it - if that's alright."

Doctor Wilson straightened. "If by private, you mean without the Munsons or Nan," he replied indignantly, "you're out of luck."

Martha glanced at Jack as he nodded, a move Wilson did not miss. "Of course, I didn't mean to imply that we'd shut them out."

"Good, follow me. Cass, has Thete been medicated for his pain?"

"On my way now," Cass answered.

"Good, keep an eye on him after Hank comes out. If he starts to panic, give him 4mgm. of Ativan. I do not want him upset by all this."

"Yes sir," Cass answered.

Wilson sighed with an air of exhaustion when he rose from the desk, and led the group through to the family conference room and closed the closed the Venetian blinds at the observation window while everyone took a action drew a surprised look from Wilson.

"Habit," Jack explained. "Before we start, I didn't see his wristband. Did it get secured?" Visions of the Doctor playing with it and jumping somewhere weird played through his head.

Wilson nodded, "Well, here we don't usually get spied on," he chuckled. "The band is in his bedside table. You left me with visions of my unit blowing up."

"Sorry about that. Before we leave tonight, I'll just make sure it's disabled. I don't want to take it if I don't have to. Martha," he waved an invitation, "your turn."

As they all sat down, Hank walked in. "Sorry, the ladies told me that he wouldn't sleep. He has had a rough day and it has left him cranky. I think, he feels worse than he's admitting. Singing to him usually chills him right out. He doesn't like that it works, but it does. Doctor Jones, he didn't mean the stuff he said." Hank smiled as he sat next to his wife.

Martha smiled tightly. "I know, Mr Munson, and it's alright. We want to thank all of you for taking care of him. I don't think we made that clear this morning. You saved his life, and I don't think that we have expressed our gratitude well."

Wilson let out a sigh; maybe he'd worried too much. "We do understand how stressed you all are. Now, Doctor, what did you find different from what I told you?"

Martha took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She pulled the scanner from her pocket, set it in front of Wilson and turned it on. The shocked look on Jack's face told Wilson two things. First: he was seeing an experimental form of technology and second: he very much doubted she had permission to use it. He liked that she really didn't seem to care that it made Harkness angry. Martha pushed a key, and a perfect four-inch 3D projection of the Doctor, lying prone, appeared above the scanner.

"What the Hell!" Wilson pushed away from the table and whistled his approval of the device. "What the hell is that thing?"

"This," Martha grinned, "is a bio scanner. It's like having a PET scanner in your pocket. Thete's brother invented it before he died. Thete finished it. He had hoped medics in Afghanistan would be able to use it in the field. His dream was that if they could get a comprehensive exam done in the field, it would speed care by doctors once they reached field hospital. Unfortunately, budget cuts being what they are, it was never put in use."

"Except by us." Jack interrupted, flashing a very irritated look at Martha.

"Exactly." Martha tapped another key enlarging the projection, and switched Thete's prone position to upright. Now he slowly turned like a little ballerina on a music box.

"Oh, I have got to have one of these." Wilson practically salivated over the device in front of him. This was a device that he could see Thete perfecting. He looked up at Martha grinning. "How do I get one of these?"

"Sorry," Jack answered sounding a little short. "This is one of a kind, and it's not for sale."

Martha just moved on. "I have to explain something that I should have this morning. Thete's parents worked for a military unit connected to the U.N. called U.N.I.T. Their jobs were top-secret, and U.N.I.T. sealed all their records including the records of their family. Because of that, the boys grew up getting all their medical care through U.N.I.T.. You must understand that Thete is still protected by U.N.I.T., and this is top-secret. I'm telling you all this because he is far sicker than you realise. So - - here goes. Thete's father had a genetic mutation both his boys inherited. At the time, they thought the cause came from radiation experiments that Mr Smith conducted after the war. Both boys were born with a double cardiovascular system, missing a left lobe in their lungs, and a higher metabolism rate. I met Tennyson when I went to work for U.N.I.T., and I received a crash course in their care because they are a bit - - alien ... medically. Thete especially is a challenge because, as you found out, he has issues with a conduction defect and a metabolism rate that is on steroids." She laughed.

"Because his metabolism is so high, his body compensates by running a lower core body temperature. The scan gives us a complete picture of how he is now. As a side note, I wouldn't mind just a bit of his metabolism. I wouldn't feel so guilty eating fish and chips." Martha shot a look at Jack at his derisive snort. "The good news," she continued, "is that his right heart doesn't show any damage from stopping. I also didn't find any further evidence of clot formation."

"So he isn't going to drop dead?" Nan asked with a worried tone.

"No, I don't think his conduction defect is an issue. We shouldn't have a problem as long as we don't poke it with a stick."

Hank leaned over, and held Sarah's hand. "I feel a big but coming on." His voice dripped with worry.

Martha nodded. "There is - - a big one. His pneumonia has worsened since his X-ray after his cath. I think they did the last film around one. I have another concern. If you look very closely, you will see a fairly large peri-anal abscess has formed." She glanced at the Munsons, and Nan's confused expression. "It was caused by tears he received from the rapes. I'm guessing he has had trouble sitting today."

"He has," Nan, answered. "But he refused to go back to bed. He was a bit snarky about it."

"He is a very stubborn git." Martha chuckled. The rest of the group nodded. "He is running a fever. It would be hard, for you to pick up, without knowing his normal temp."

"I told Cass and Abby he felt hot," Sarah said quietly as she squeezed Nan and Hank's hands. "He has been warm most of the day, but his temperature was normal to low-grade."

Nan nodded and added, "He's been cranky since he woke up this afternoon."

Martha smiled. She liked the two women who had taken on the role of mum. They'd have heart attacks if they knew how old he really was.

"What's his normal temp?" Wilson asked with a note of disbelief.

"34 degrees Celsius, or for Americans, 94 degrees."

"So when his temp is 99 degrees, it is really equal to...?" He didn't get a chance to finish before Martha spoke.

"It's a little over 103 degrees heading to 104." Martha answered. " Vancomycin isn't working. Doctor Wilson, he is septic,. Sheer force of will kept him upright today."

"That's what kept him on his feet when he showed up; it's what's kept him alive," Hank muttered proudly.

"Damn it." Wilson shook his head in frustration. "We gave him a couple of Ibuprofen earlier because he complained of a headache, but his temp was normal. I'd hate to think what it would be for him if we hadn't. The gamma globulin we gave him should have boosted his immune system better than this. Damn."

"I think - that if you hadn't given it to him, he would be far sicker than he is now. According to your lab work, he's mildly anemic with a slightly elevated white count. He is fighting the infection. Think of his normal values about a third lower than normal. I brought a copy of his normal labs for you to compare. For him, his white count is very elevated, and he is seriously anemic. He needs at least two units of blood."

Martha placed a medical record in front of Wilson. "A few years ago, after an attack on his brother, we started a policy of getting them both to donate a unit of blood once a month. At least, Thete kept that up after his brother died. They were both so sensitive to medications, that his brother developed antibiotics with their DNA markers. We need to start Thete on them, ASAP."

"You want me to let you give unapproved drugs to him? Are you nuts? I could lose my licence."

"I know that you've checked and triple checked my credentials and my licence. I will take responsibility, so there is no danger to you, but I am telling you that if you do not let us medicate him properly, one of three things will happen. One: we will take him out of here tonight to treat his sepsis, which would be disastrous for his mental status. He trusts these people, not us." Martha nodded to the Americans sitting next to Wilson. "Two: he will need surgical intervention to drain that abscess, and would wind up still needing our antibiotics. Or three: in his weakened condition, he develops an overwhelming sepsis, and we lose him. I will not let that happen." Martha leaned over and retrieved the scanner.

"That sounds a lot like a threat Doctor Jones." Doctor Wilson stared at the young woman across from him. They locked eyes.

For just those seconds, they were the only people sitting at the table. Wilson took a breath. He would not let this slide into chaos. The last thing he needed was a sick kid caught in the middle of a fight. All Harkness had to do was pick up a phone and call the White House. Before he could call a judge to stop them, the military would escort them, and Thete, to the airport. All that would take time, delaying the inevitable while Thete grew sicker. Still, DNA marked antibiotics were something so Sci-Fi that it was difficult to believe they existed.

Hank broke the silence. "Doc, there's something you all should know before we go any further." Hank gripped his wife's hand a little tighter. "I went to the courthouse today and talked to a lawyer."

"You did what?" Sarah and Nan said together.

"Before you two kill me, hear me out." Hank winced at Sarah's stunned expression. "Did you honestly think that I spent the afternoon riding and cleaning the café? Honey, please." He smiled at his wife before turning his attention back to their visitors.

"First of all, I'm glad you're here and the flight went well. I've talked to Sarah on my way over and she said that you - seemed nice. She also said that it's obvious that you love Thete. By now, I'm sure you realise that he is terrified of you. Because of that and because of what happened this morning, I gave him my oath that I would protect him. So, after I left here this morning, I talked to my lawyer and to the judge who gave us his medical guardianship."

No one missed Jack's expression darken, but he said nothing.

"That's why Niles called me this afternoon." Wilson shook his head in wonder at Hank.

Hank nodded. "Yep, I asked him to. I told him about the horrible flashbacks, and that Thete regressed emotionally afterwards. He called you to make sure I wasn't exaggerating." Hank looked at Martha and Jack and breathed deeply before continuing. He was about to make these people very angry.

"Because of how sick he is, and the fiasco with that shrink, Judge Niles upgraded his medical guardianship to a full guardianship, and -" Hank squeezed Sarah's hand, "until Doctor Wilson declares him healthy and competent, he's issued an injunction to prevent anyone from taking Thete out of the state. I gave the papers to the unit secretary to put in his records."

Unable to stop the rage from bubbling up, Jack pushed his chair back so hard that it tipped over. "You can't do that!" he snarled. "He's a British citizen!"

"Took care of that too, Captain." Hank stood up with his eyes locked firmly on Jack. "The Judge talked to the consulate in Chicago. Based on his illness, and police records that show his torture happened as the result of his job, and that the gang rape occurred because those people dumped him here, an INS judge issued us a temporary green card and gave him political asylum. Your own BOLO helped." He smiled. "I'm not going to interfere in anything you want to do medically, or otherwise, but I'm not letting you take him anywhere - until he's well. I just want to make sure you understand; you people didn't protect him, but I damn sure will!"

"Hank! Sit down. How could you do that without talking to us?" Sarah pulled her husband back down. She was stunned by her husband's behaviour.

Nan sat back dumbfounded. "Hank, who was it that said not to get overly emotional?"

"You two didn't see him this morning!" Hank defended himself. "He fought for his life against monsters. I told Doc, I wasn't letting anyone hurt him again. Doctor Jones just said if you didn't do what they want, they would take him. I'm not letting that happen. Now, if they have medicine that will do better than what we've got, give it to him. If they have anything that will help him, give it to him. Do whatever it takes to save his life, but Thete isn't leaving Kentucky by force. He leaves here when he can walk out on his own two feet, and make his own decisions.

"Hank, I don't know what to say. Why didn't you talk to me?" Wilson was as stunned as Nan and Sarah.

"Why didn't you ask us about letting that shrink make decisions based on a video instead of coming to talk to us? This wasn't your decision, Doc. I talked to my oldest boy. He's a lawyer too; he told me what to do and he talked to Vince."

"I'll kill Erik, and then we're firing Vince." Sarah muttered.

"You had no right to do what you've done!" Jack leaned over with both fists planted on the table. "Martha, can he travel?" he asked as he pushed away and began to pace in fury.

"What, no! Absolutely not! Wait a minute."

"Jack, calm down. Look, he doesn't know who or what we are." Rory interrupted as he stepped in front of the angry man. "If we get into a fight over what's best, he could lose trust in all of us. He's already told us to go back to Britain. I watched his face when Martha asked his name, and his face when Mr. Munson walked in. Believe me, Mr. Munson won hands down. He couldn't wait for us to get out of his room. I can understand why Mr. Munson did what he did."

"Jack, you need to calm down. The last thing we need is a turf war." River grabbed his arm to pull him back from the edge.

Silence filled the small conference room. Everyone was too stunned at how fast things had almost gotten out of hand to speak. Hank and Jack stood opposite each other with clinched fists, close to an all-out fight. They all expected an angry state trooper to knock on the door.

A soft voice, but firm voice cut through the silence. "May I suggest we all breathe, and then remember why we're here. I can get Tim, Hank," Nan said as she reached for her friend's hand.

Wilson drew a deep breath. "To say this meeting isn't going well is an understatement," he muttered angrily, "Captain," Wilson said firmly, "That officer will break up a fight. Going to jail benefits no one. Let's get back to the course of treatment, and then we'll discuss politics. Understood?"

Jack glared at Hank, but sat down.

"Nan, you're his co-guardian. What do you think?" Wilson asked calmly.

"Doc, I think that Hank should have talked to us. I think, I may have to smack him, but Mr. Williams is right; Thete comes first. We can all kill Hank later. As far as the medicine goes, I think you have done a great job taking care of him, but you told us this morning that he was getting sicker. If they are smart enough to come up with that scanner thing, maybe we should trust their medicines. There must be a protocol for experimental medicine."

Wilson took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Captain Harkness, I am sorry about the surprise. Understand Doctor Jones, I don't care what your credentials are, or how fast you got permission to practice here. That young man is my patient, and this is my unit. Anything you do, I have to sign off on. Anything that requires written consent goes through the Munsons and Nan. If they hadn't found him, God know where he'd be. As you can see, they care as much for him as if he were their own. Obviously more than I realised. They are now his surrogate family. You agree to that, and I'll let you bring in what you need."

"Agreed, " Martha answered as she looked at Jack. She had never seen his face so dark; his blue eyes still flashed in rage. At least, he was calm for the moment, but she knew he was on the edge. "That ' s not a problem. Let's start with getting a drain in for that abscess. Then we need a chilling blanket. We need to get him down to at least 32 degrees Celsius, to slow his metabolism and cool him down. " Martha looked at Jack. "I need you to take Ianto, and River to get the equipment that I brought from the plane. "

Standing by the only window still looking shocked, River nodded in agreement. "Have we got a plan then?" she asked quietly. When Martha nodded, she smiled. "Good, then I have a question?"

"What's your question, Miss Song?" Wilson asked.

"Will five minutes matter?" she asked.

"No, why?"

"I'd like a chance to talk to the Munsons, and Mrs. Carson if it's all right?"

"Of course, it is - - Miss . . ." Nan answered.

"I'm Doctor River Song." She swallowed hard. "I just want to know where you found him?" Amy joined her and slipped a loving arm around her daughter. Rare tears coursed silently down River's face.

"He showed up in the alley that runs by our café during a thunderstorm." Hank answered. "I've never seen anyone that beat up and terrified yet still ready to fight. He begged us to let him go to some place called the Plass."

"What?" Jack looked up; still angry, his voice sounded hollow.

Hank met Jack's glare. "The Plass, do you know where it is?"

"Yeah, it's where Torchwood is," he answered through clinched teeth. "It's where I live." Jack wiped his hand across his face. "Without realising, he was trying to come home."

Before he continued, Hank drew a breath. "He has begged us ever since to either keep him safe, or let him die. He has nightmares you can't believe, but then he can't remember them. He doesn't want a stranger anywhere near him, and the sight of a uniform sends him into a total meltdown."

Sarah stood up and walked over to the two women. She laid her hand on River's arm. "When I first saw him, Nan was rocking him, while a nurse worked her way around the stretcher to sedate him. He thought a male nurse was going to ... he broke the young man's nose then threw himself off the stretcher to get away." Sarah's voice cracked at the memory. "He thought that Hank was the enemy, so he spit a mouthful of blood in his face, and then tried to slug him. He screamed in some language and English that if Hank tried to make him do it again, he would kill him. He begged Nan for help to find K'Nar. When the sedation kicked in, he just curled into her like a baby and fell asleep. Since then, one of us has stayed with him around the clock." Sarah watched the older woman wipe tears away as she stared out the window."

"He is frustrated, scared and very angry," Nan said softly. "Monsters ripped his world away, and he doesn't understand why. He can't remember anything about himself, or you. He doesn't understand why you have come all the way from Britain. He's afraid that he is responsible for K'Nar's death, and that you're here to arrest him, to force him back to hell."

Nan joined Sarah at River's side before she continued. "As bad as all that sounds, he's sweet and thoughtful. He worries about everyone else's safety and what he can do to help them, especially his elderly neighbour, because he hears her cry at night. He worries about making us angry, or how we feel every time he thinks he's done something wrong. This morning, he thought the Police were beating Hank and he fought every one trying to get to him."

"He won't laugh." Hank interrupted. "Every once in a while, he will giggle at a joke he hears on TV and then he freezes. It's as if he expects punishment. When he had his flashback this morning, he'd complained about his therapist, and giggled at something silly. He thought the officers coming to protect him were coming to punish him for his transgression."

"When he thinks he's rude, he stops and apologises. I finally asked him why yesterday, and he just said it was against the rules," Wilson added.

Jack stared a small chip in the wallboard. When he spoke, his voice dripped with rage. "He was in that hell-hole for over three weeks. They interrogated him multiple times a day about his project, and every time he said no, they slapped him across the room or put him in chains and yanked him off his feet. Every time they demanded access to his project, he just laughed. Every time he laughed, they used a new toy to beat him. He stopped laughing on day twelve. He stopped wise cracking on day seventeen. They videoed their so-called play sessions. For three weeks, they whipped him with a device tipped with Tasers. They stomped, slapped, and punched him ... and still he said nothing. When they couldn't get anywhere with him, they kept K'Nar away, telling him ..." Jack hitched a breath. "Telling him all the ways that they were playing with her. He never told them what they wanted, not once! And before you ask, I can't answer. In fact, I never said a word, but don't you tell us, we don't understand!"

"Son of a..." was all Hank could say. Sarah and Nan just held each other's hand.

"No wonder he begged us not to hurt her," Nan finally muttered as tears ran down her cheeks. "My poor Cowboy."

"To have to suffer through all that and then be ... raped here. God, this unbelievable." Disgust filled Wilson's voice.

"He just tried to help Amy," River muttered. "That's all he did. Thank you, but I don't think I want to hear anymore. I'll just go with Jack and get the stuff Martha needs."

"Doctor Song," Nan said as she wiped her tears and gently pulled the woman around to face her. "He's going to get better, and he will remember you. Doctor Wilson said that the longer that he's awake, the more he can process what happened, and then he'll remember. None of us expected for him to get so sick, throw clots, or have his heart stop. But, he's young, and strong. We will support you while you get reacquainted, but we won't leave him."

"I wouldn't want you to," River whispered. "Mrs Carson. You saved him."

"Sarah and I didn't know what Hank did. We have been worried all day you would try to push us away, and it seems we have done that to you. I am truly, very sorry. Just hang in there and have a little faith."

"Thank you. It's alright. We could have been his kidnappers for all you knew. We'll calm Jack down. I just need a few minutes." River swallowed as she forced her emotions under control.

"River, are you sure?" Amy asked quietly.

"It's okay, Amy. I don't blame Mr. Munson for moving to protect him. He did what he thought was right. I was prepared for him not to recognise us, but I just ..." Her voice trailed. "I'm fine. Never let him see you worry, Amy."

"Can we ask you a question?" Nan said softly.

"Of course." River smiled tightly.

"You said, K'Nar was at the compound when you arrived - who is she?"

The Brits all looked away as River looked down and then back at the American. "Trafficking in young girls is still common in parts of the world. K'Nar was one of its victims. Like the Doctor, she was kidnapped. The people in that compound bought her for a slave. They didn't realise how resourceful or bloody brilliant she is. The whole time they forced her to clean up Thete's muck after they beat him, she was plotting ways to save him. She talked a guard into getting him a mattress and a blanket. She trickled water down his throat when he couldn't hold a cup. She'd sneak food to him, mash it, then spoon-feed him. They became extremely attached and swore to get out of there together. He swore that he would take her home, but she is a just a kid, and he was ... The day they took him out of that compound to smuggle him here, they practically ripped her out of his arms. He barely could function, but he fought to protect her. When we found her, she was trying to hide in his cell so that she could still be close to him. She's home now, recovering with her family."

"Oh my God, that poor baby," Nan almost sobbed. "Did they ..." she started to ask, but couldn't.

River shook her head. "They never did that to her." she affirmed.

Jack's hollow voice broke the tense silence that surrounded the group. "Martha, does he remember anything? Martha?" he repeated when she didn't answer.

"What?" Martha answered. "I'm sorry." She replied, "No, beyond K'Nar there is nothing. When I asked him to tell me his name, he just drew a blank, shut down and threw us out. I mean, his name is on the wall, but it means nothing to him. Between the infections and trauma, Doctor Wilson is right; his amnesia is complete." Martha continued.

Still trembling with anger, Jack rose to his full height, "I need to make sure the wrist scanner is out of commission, and your computers are safe, and then we're leaving. I - really need a drink." Jack flipped his mobile closed and grabbed his jacket. He went to River and put an arm around her shoulders. "Yan is at the front door. "Mr. Munson, I don't know what to say to you. I am ... There is nothing more important to me than making sure that he's okay. I won't fight you right now because Rory is right. Thete is the only one who would suffer in a turf war. But understand this," he snarled, "when the time is right, I am taking him home, and you will not interfere. You do not want a war with me, Mr. Munson. I. Am. An extremely dirty fighter," Jack finished. "Mrs. Munson, Mrs. Carson, it was nice meeting you both, and I mean that. Thanks for being there for him. I am truly glad that you're here." Jack turned and headed for the door.

"Jack, hang on minute." Martha smiled tightly.

Jack snapped his head around. "What!" he answered back with both fists clinched tightly at his sides.

"I need a minute alone with you guys." She flashed a look of concern at her extremely angry friend. "Please." She pleaded.

"We'll leave you to talk then." Wilson stood up and came around the conference table and ushered everyone out. It was hard to miss the look of relief on his face that no one had just been arrested for a brawl in the conference room.

When they were alone, Martha pulled Jack to the table. "Focus on what's important Jack. We'll worry about politics later."

"Martha, what's wrong?" he said impatiently.

"What did K'Nar tell you that she did, exactly?"

"She said she wiped his memories, so he could hide on Earth," Jack answered still sounding distracted.

"No," Amy said as she stood up, "she said she wiped his memories and turned off everything that made him not human. She tricked his body to believe it was human."

Martha dropped her head to her chest and drew a breath through her nose. "When I travelled with the Doctor, he used the Chameleon Arch to transform into a human. It rewrote his DNA, changed his anatomy and physiology, and wiped his memories. K'Nar couldn't change his DNA and his anatomy, but she has screwed mightily with his physiology. His nurse said: he's complained of a headache since his admission which concerns me. He has a concussion, but it's not serious enough to explain the headaches." Martha reactivated the scanner showing a Thete's image in greater detail.

"What are we supposed to be looking at?" Jack growled the question, but everyone had the same look of confusion.

Martha punched a detailed image of Thete's brain. "Time Lords use ninety-five percent of their brains while we use maybe fifteen - if we're geniuses. The dark areas you see are the parts of his brain that make him a Time Lord. These are the areas that she has some how shut off."

"What does all of that mean, Martha?" River's voice trembled as she asked the question.

"It means, essentially that he is brain-damaged. I don't think he can process more than basic information, or block out other people's emotions, the way he normally would. It's as if he's stuck inside a TV set that's never turned off. On top of that, he is sick and in pain. To save his sanity, he has shut down to the level of a teenager. His body doesn't recognise itself as Time Lord. The girl has even changed his blood to essentially human. There is no sign of artron energy. He has none of the self-healing properties that his blood should contain. If this goes south, I don't think he can regenerate. A blood transfusion will help, and hopefully reactivate at least some artron production, but I just don't know. And it won't do anything for his brain."

"What about the antibiotics?" Unconsciously, River reached out for a supportive hand from her dad.

"Those are DNA marked. Their effect shouldn't change at all. K'Nar didn't alter his triple helix DNA, just his physiology. Right now he is a very sick human, with anomalies that make it hard to get well physically and emotionally."

"Now what?" Rory asked as he fingered the chart.

"Now, we switch his antibiotics, pump him full of blood, and hope like hell that we can get him well. Then someone needs to figure out why the universe is so intent on making this so bloody hard."

The five companions stood in the little conference room, unsure of what to say to each other. They felt as lost as Thete. The ring of Jack's mobile broke the silence.

"Ianto's waiting - come on River. I need that drink, and so do you. Martha, we'll be back in thirty." Jack muttered when he snapped the mobile closed.

o0o

When Jack walked out of the conference room, he couldn't remember the last time he wanted so badly to put a fist in someone's mouth. He could feel his fist slam into Hank Munson's jaw. Half way to the door, Jack heard a groan from Thete's room. The sound stopped him mid-stride, and he turned back to the room. Jack stood in Thete's doorway, barely aware that River was next to him. He watched his best friend move restlessly in a bed surrounded by equipment. From the B/P monitor and IV pump, to his leg wraps and his bed's air pump; it was no wonder that he couldn't get comfortable. Jack felt hot tears course down his cheeks. No one, not even Martha, could understand how he felt.

The only other individual in the universe remotely capable of matching his life was in danger of dying because of a child. This wasn't happening. It just wasn't. He didn't bother to wipe the tears away as he walked past Munson. The man had a chair pulled up as close as possible as he sang a spiritual to Thete. As he stood next to the bed and listened to each raspy, laboured breath, Jack felt the fight go out of him - at least for now.

No artron energy production. How was that even bloody possible? Jack thought.

He ignored Munson, leaned over the rail and kissed the top of Thete's sweaty head. "I love you, you bloody idiot, and don't you dare forget it! We have survived way too much for you to give up now. You are who you are, and you don't quit. You hear me, Doc! You don't quit." Jack felt an arm slide around his waist.

"Come on Jack," River said gently, "I know where the Scotch is hidden."


	27. Chapter 27 The Vigil Part 1

Thete ached in places that he didn't even know existed. Even his toes hurt. The pain and exhaustion were worth it, though. He savoured the moment of his victory - his first victory against the ... what did Nan say that he called them - morons, he beat the morons. He'd stood on his feet and beat them six ways to Sunday. They didn't have the chance to kick, grab, or force him away from this place. It didn't matter that the effort left him utterly exhausted. Cass followed Hank into the room, fussed at him again and injected his morphine into his IV line, following it with a dose of Phenergan. He was almost grateful - - almost. The drugs made it easier to breathe, eased the nausea that always followed his antibiotics, but they made it harder to focus on the strangers and his success. He closed his eyes for just a second and snorted.

They said that they knew him, but they lied. He didn't know them. Their faces, their smiles, even their smells meant nothing. They'd lied about K'Nar too, although he was a little perplexed how they had found out about her. When they had the chance to prove that they knew her, they couldn't. They must have thought that he was incredibly stupid. His eyes felt as if someone had put ten ton weights on his lids, making it almost impossible to keep them open. He didn't want to go to sleep, not yet. When he managed to pry his eyes open, his vision was a little off. It was several seconds before the blurriness cleared enough to recognise that Hank, Nan and Sarah sat next to his bed.

"Hey," he murmured proudly, "I did it. I beat them."

"Yes, you did," Nan chuckled lightly as she caressed his hand gently . "They were impressed. What did you think about them?"

Thete snorted. "They're liars," he said flatly. "Did they leave?"

"No, they're going to stay for a while and visit with us. You don't have to worry though - -sleep now," Nan answered as she kissed his forehead.

"Is Annie coming?"

"No, not tonight, sweetie, she's staying home with Emily," Sarah answered gently.

"Oh." His answer was barely understandable as the drugs began to take him.

"Lady doctor needs to leave," he mumbled. "Didn't like..." He shifted restlessly fighting the growing tug of sleep. "Don't like her." Thete drifted. "What did Cass give me? Can't stay..." His words slurred as he gave in to the gentle strokes of Hank caressing his head. Cass roused him for a minute, ignored his grumbling as Hank slid his arms under his shoulders, and helped him sit up long enough to swallow some orange liquid stuff. It stung his tongue as it went down. A noise in the room made him vaguely aware that someone with Cass was helping setting up some piece of equipment. He wasn't sure that he liked that, and then they came back to bother him.

"Quit, Cass," he grumbled when she taped something under his arm.

"It's just a thermometer, Thete; go to sleep for a while." Cass straightened his covers.

He was sure that they were getting ready to do some horrible test on him. Hank was here now, and he would watch out for him. After all, he ' d made that annoying woman leave. Who was she to ask his name ? Maybe, with any luck, they would all leave. Well, except the guy with the nose - he kind of liked him. His wife was alright too; she had nice ginger hair. She was a ginge; yeah, they could stay. But as far as he was concerned, the lady doctor and the big guy could leave now and never come back.

No sooner had he wished for it, Jack whatever was there, along with the curly one. The man leaned over whispered something that Thete couldn't quite make out, and then ... he kissed him, prompting Thete to turn away and grumble. It was bad enough that they were in his room, but kiss him. The kiss flipped his stomach, but Thete was too tired to fuss. In the morning, he'd have to remember to slug him. Almost as soon as Cass left, he drifted off to the sound of Hank singing that nice little song he liked. He just wanted to dream. She was there - - in his dream.

o0o

River stood outside the TARDIS with Jack and Ianto behind her. Thus far, this had been one lousy day, and the night wasn't getting any better. Her mind raced with the events of just minutes ago as she slipped her key into the TARDIS door. She glanced behind her at Jack, who was bouncing on his heels. She wasn't sure why his reaction was so explosive once he had walked into that conference room. This from the man who had told her that they couldn't cause trouble? His eyes were still filled with rage. He acted more like a... The realisation struck her that Jack didn't just love the Doctor; a part of him was in love with the Doctor. She opened the door to TARDIS in silence, letting Jack in first, followed by a reluctant Ianto.

Jack needed some alone time with his partner, but it was more than obvious that the Welshman wasn't so sure the TARDIS was where he wanted to spend it. River couldn't help the chuckle at his expression of disbelief. Like everyone who stepped into the blue police box, he was properly - gobsmacked. For several minutes he walked around the console, then back to Jack, and then bolted for the door. River stepped out of the way as Jack went after his partner, only to find him leaning over hyperventilating.

"You have seen Cybermen, Daleks, the Resurrection glove, the Abbadon. All that and you're going to let the TARDIS freak you out?" Jack teased.

River didn't miss that his wry grin went nowhere near his eyes.

"Did you hear her?" Ianto straightened up to look at River and Jack standing in front of the open door. He cast a glance back at the lighted interior.

"What?" Jack's eyebrows knitted together.

"A woman's voice. It was like a whisper from a ghost. It..."

"Was weird," Jack and River said together.

"Yeah. Just need a moment." Ianto nodded, as he took another few seconds to wrap his brain around its uniqueness. Once he was steady, the three walked back inside. The ship sent mental hugs to her children as River punched in coordinates to dematerialise and enter the vortex.

The ship was ecstatic to have her children tucked safely inside, but their emotional upheaval was almost painful, adding to her longing for Thief. They were angry and in pain, making it difficult for them to focus on the job at hand-bringing Thief home. She had tried to sing to him, to comfort him in his dreams, but he still didn't recognise her voice, and her effort failed. So now, she would shift her tactics to the children. At least she could help her children get some much needed breathing space, and then, when they were rested, they would finish the mission that she had given them.

She chuckled at the stranger. She didn't mean to spook him. Her immortal child was a mess, and he needed the stranger. They were - attached. She didn't want Stranger distracted, so she withdrew from his mind in order to encourage him to better focus on helping her immortal. She'd catalogued Immortal's old room years ago, and now shifted it back to its old location. Immortal One was almost numb as he led Stranger down the corridor and past the galley to his old home. She made sure the lights were low, his favourite drink was close at hand, and the bed was large and comfortable. She had not anticipated that he'd barely make it through his door.

His anguished cries stabbed at her matrix. She watched Stranger catch him as he went down, holding her immortal child. He laid in Stranger's arms and wept. The most that she could do to help was provide Stranger with a pillow and a blanket, and then fill the air with strains of Glenn Miller. She was so glad that he had a friend who knew and understood the love he held for Thief. As the two lay on the floor, she wove her way back through his recent timeline, and saw all the attempts that he'd made to harm himself after Thief's tenth self regenerated, until finally; he'd come to terms with the event. As his friend soothed him to sleep, she implanted the thought in Immortal's mind that he should never deliberately harm himself again.

The TARDIS felt her daughter's mind race with heartbreak and thoughts of revenge. Every muscle was taut with deep-seated anger. The ship had her favourite place ready filling the ceiling with Woman Wept's night sky, and the air with the sounds of Stevie Wonder. She heated the pool's water to a comfortable degree of warmth, and made sure her swimsuit was exactly where she'd left it laying on a lounge chair. A large towel lay folded next to the suit. The memory of her daughter's last swim was still fresh to the TARDIS. Thief swam with her daughter on that day before her birthday trip. That memory was so strong - so explicit that the TARDIS withdrew from her daughter's mind, instead focusing on ensuring her privacy. She did not want to intrude on her daughter's memories of her time with Thief.

The ship watched over her daughter carefully. Her mind was in such turmoil that even though the TARDIS wasn't reading her thoughts, her misery was apparent in every move that she made. She watched her daughter just float, so the ship increased the pool's wave action just a bit, so the light waves would soothe her muscles. A small smile played across her daughter's weary face. The TARDIS knew that she was remembering that last day. Breaking her own promise not to touch her mind, the ship flooded her with every touch, every kiss from her husband. The TARDIS giggled at her own memory of the two. They'd made love for hours the night before her daughter's birthday. It was a spectacular weekend. It seemed almost impossible that it was only a week ago on her daughter's own personal timeline.

River shuddered. "Stay out of my head, Old Girl! Some things are private, even from you!" she fussed at her husband's oldest companion. She turned over to let the water hide her tears as she began to swim. With each stroke, she imagined NaV0's face hitting her fist. When she imagined the woman lying dead at her feet, she moved on to the men who beat him, and finally the three who had raped him. In her mind's eye, she saw each one of them dead at her feet, dissolving into nothing as their atoms scattered across the universe. She swam until her arms and legs ached with fatigue, and then she swam some more. When she finally found herself unable to move, she turned over to rest and waited until she could feel her extremities again. She flexed her toes, and then her ankles before she started across the Olympic-sized pool again.

This time, each stroke was a kiss from her husband. When it was impossible to go any farther, she swam to the pool's edge and pulled her exhausted body out, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. She chuckled at the beloved ship's attempt to make up. River sent a thank you to her for the roaring fire in the fireplace and the brandy already waiting. Curled up in front of the fire, River sipped her brandy and cried. She wasn't aware that she'd fallen asleep, but four hours later, she felt a hand shaking her gently. For a moment, she thought it was the Doctor. Her eyes still closed, and her brain foggy, she stretched like a cat.

"Nice body," Jack teased, laughing softly as she jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Oi," she protested as she grabbed her fallen towel. "How long?" she asked sleepily

"I'm figuring she put us out for about four hours, maybe a little more. Sneaky thing, isn't she?"

"In more ways than one," River answered flatly. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Jack sighed. "Still mad, and I'd still like to slug Munson, but yes. I am - okay."

"I'll get changed and meet you in the medbay."

Minutes later, the ship materialised back in the car park, thirty minutes after they'd left Thete's room.

o0o

Three nervous women and Rory stood at the desk watching Wilson and Martha quietly discuss their plans. As the closest, Nan strained to listen, but both doctors were adept at making sure families didn't hear any information they might misunderstand. It irritated Nan that Wilson manoeuvered the British doctor just far enough away that she couldn't hear. When it was more convenient, Nan intended to give her favourite doctor a piece of her mind. Nan flashed Wilson an unhappy look as he finished co-signing Martha's orders and turned back to face an unhappy family.

"Well, I have to say you all are a strange looking family." He chuckled, then stopped when all three crossed their arms and glared.

"Right, then. So much for lightening the mood. Here's the plan. To keep his stress level down, we are going to put a central line in, and place the drain here on the unit. With Doctor Jones' scanner thing, we can insert the drain without scoping him. Cass will give Thete a small dose of Versed, just enough to put him out for about thirty minutes. Until he is asleep, Hank is going to sing to him." When Martha gave him a puzzled look, he smiled. "We don't know why, but when Hank sings to him, he relaxes like a puppy getting his ears rubbed. When he's asleep, we'll do the central line first and then insert and stitch the drain in place. Hopefully he'll stay out long enough that we can get him suctioned. When the Captain and Doctor Song get back, we'll start his new antibiotics in one line and his blood in the other. Any questions? No, good, then..."

"I have a question."

"Yes, ma'am." Wilson smiled apologetically at Nan.

"How long before he's better?"

"The next few hours are going to be tough," Martha answered. "With the blood and new antibiotics, hopefully, we will see the start of a turn around by midnight."

"Nan, you and Sarah take our young friends for some coffee."

"Don't you let anything happen to him, Doc," Nan said as she slipped an arm around Amy.

"Rory?" Amy flashed him a worried look.

"I'll stay with Martha; take a walk with Mrs Carson and Mrs Munson." Rory kissed his wife on the forehead.

Thirty minutes later, the three women stood outside Thete's door waiting . They expected to find the procedures completed, and the missing companions waiting, instead the door remained closed and River and Jack missing. Nan couldn't help but smile at Amy's reaction to the other families, who tended to hover close to the young woman. When an unexpected scream tore from Thete's room, Amy moved toward the door, only to have Nan pull her back. The look of horror on her face at the sound of the blood-curdling, pain-filled cry was heartbreaking. Nan was grateful that this time, it only lasted seconds. She reached for Sarah, and both older women wrapped their arms around Amy as she sobbed at the sound. They never got used to the cries either. The three other families on the unit were quick to cluster around in support. Amy barely nodded when they offered to pray for him.

"I'll smack Martha if she hurt him," Amy swore angrily.

"It's alright, Amy. Rory and Hank are with him." Nan handed her a tissue to wipe her tears as she squeezed her hand.

"This is so not right," Amy said as she struggled not to cry. "'Bout time you got back," Amy snapped as River and Jack walked in to find her visibly upset.

"Amy, what happened?" River asked, as the younger woman walked into her arms.

"We're not quite sure," Sarah answered for her.

"He screamed for a minute, but it's quiet now. It just startled Amy. She'll be fine, won't you, hon?" Nan finished.

The group looked up to see Martha and Wilson walk out of the room, looking drained.

"Martha?" Jack's voice was tense.

"He's alright, Jack." Martha flashed them a smile. "He came around just as we were finishing stitching the drain in place and panicked with men behind him. We had just finished inserting the drain and it was uncomfortable. Cass gave him a tiny dose of Ativan and he's resting. I've cultured the drainage. We'll send it to their lab, and I've got one for us. Hank is singing to him. I have to say, he has a great voice, and it is amazing the effect it has on the Doctor - calms him right down. You can go in. Amy; Rory is a great nurse. You guys timed your arrival perfectly. I will get his antibiotics and a unit of blood ready, and we'll see if we can't get the skinny git better."

They all walked in the room to find Thete moving his legs restlessly under the new cooling blanket that now adorned his bed. He clung to Hank's hand as the man crooned and stroked his head. This was definitely not how the five companions planned to spend their first night with their friend. They'd planned to show him his phony life story, filled with enough nuggets of the actual truth to hopefully restart his memories, or even undo K'Nar's handiwork. Instead, they sat by his bedside, watching a stranger soothe him.

As they watched Thete slide closer to the abyss, not even the Americans could believe how quickly he was turning for the worse. Martha started his first round of antibiotics, followed by a unit of blood. His growing confusion matched his rising fever. His chest rattled with each laboured breath. His falling oxygen level sent a shiver of fear through all of them, but when Cass parked the crash cart between his room and his neighbour's, Hank went to find his favourite night nurse.

"Cass?" Hank asked when she came out of the next room, "the last time y'all pulled that cart out the guy in six went home. That's not for us, is it?" He made no effort to hide his worry and fear.

"No Hank," Cass spoke reassuringly, "I seem to have a couple who want to cause me to grey early." She smiled. "Thete's young, he's just having a bad night, but we'll get through it."

Hank looked into Cass's eyes and knew that she wasn't being entirely honest. Something about her smile didn't make it to her eyes, but he nodded, and walked back in the room to what seemed a sea of faces surrounding Thete's bed. "She says it's not for him," he said to everyone. "It's just a precaution because another patient is having trouble. Looks like Cass is having a lousy night at work," he reassured the group.

"It's going to be okay." Sarah reached for her husband's hand and squeezed it. "You'll see, he'll be fine."

"Yeah," Hank replied as he surveyed the room of worried people. Everyone but Jack was as close to the bed as possible. Hank wondered if he was just trying to stay out of the way, or if he was really still that angry. He shook his head at the thought that the man would keep himself separate out of anger. Hank considered pulling him over, but in the end just left him to lean against the window ledge. He was glad that Thete was oblivious to the tense undercurrent of emotion around him.

Despite the weight of the cooling blanket, Thete moved restlessly as he talked in his sleep. Lost in a fevered dream, he pulled away from their attempts to change the cool flannel on his forehead. Hank didn't feel so bad that he, Nan and Sarah didn't understand Thete's ramblings, because the Brits didn't understand the incomprehensible jumble either. Hank flashed a worried look at Martha as she leaned over one more time to listen to his chest. She pulled back just as Rory caught Thete's cast arm as he swung at some invisible monster.

"His lungs are more congested, aren't they?" Hank asked Martha quietly, as she straightened back up.

"Yeah, we're going to need to suction again him since his cough is so weak, and he isn't going to like it. "

"Well, maybe if I talk to him, he'll understand, and not fight so hard. " Hank hoped he was right.

"What if I do it?" River stood over him, brushing his hair from his damp forehead. "He might not remember my face, but maybe - he'll remember my voice. If I can get him to cough, then you won't have to suction him."

"River, he'll still need it. He's too congested," Martha answered.

"Let me try, Martha. I have to do something, " River begged.

Hank shared a quick glance with his wife and Nan at the woman's tone. She sounded more like a wife or a lover than a friend. There was something about how she leaned over and kissed his bruised forehead that confirmed it. Good friends just weren't that tender.

" Hello sweetie. Can you hear me? " River crooned in Gallifreyan, using her most seductive voice. "Come on, sweetie, open your eyes."

Thete turned towards the voice, and sleepily looked into emerald eyes. " Who are you ?" he answered back in the same ancient language.

River winced. "I'm River and you - you, my love, are my dearest and closest friend. I've come a long way to find you."

"'S not right." He shook his head in confusion. "Wot's wrong?"

"We need your help, you always try to make things right. This time it's a little hard because you're sick, but you have to help us."

"This is a dream, I'm dreaming."

"It's not a dream. This one time, you must trust me , okay? You need to give me your hand, and then Hank and I will sit you up. B ut we need to speak English. Now, come on soldier."

"I'm tired. Leave me alone and let me sleep," he muttered, too groggy to understand.

"I know you're tired, but now you have to work, and then you can sleep. You have to cough the stuff up that's making you sick, or they're going to stick a tube in your nose."

"Nooo, leave me - alone," he moaned as he turned away.

"You will sit up and do this! You will help us save you!" River commanded angrily in English.

Her tone startled him, pulling him away from the edge of the abyss.

River nodded to Hank, and he slipped his arms under Thete to sit him up. She flashed Hank a smile as she answered the question on his face. " It's ancient Greek. He loves ancient languages. I'm an archaeologist. It's one of the reasons we became such good friends."

"Right," Hank answered, not quite believing that answer as a picture of Thete and River entered his head. "Come on, son, sit up and cough before they stick something in you."

"Hank - no. Make 'em leave." Thete tried to pull away,

"Not this time, come on now." Lifting Thete up was like picking up a damp rag doll. Amy and River held pillows to his fractured ribs as he stared into the eyes of the strange woman. The effort to cough left him exhausted as he dropped back on the pillow, groaning.

"Good enough, or do you torture me?" he gasped.

"We're not going to torture you," Martha answered gently, "but we do have to suction the junk out of your chest. We'll try to make it quick, I promise."

"Hank, make them stop." Thete groaned.

"Sorry, son, this time I'm with them. We have to get that junk up so your fever will go down, and you can breathe. It'll be okay. "

Five minutes later, with Rory holding his head, Thete had a death grip on Hank's hand. It nearly sent all of them to their knees to see tears run down his cheeks, and his terrified eyes dart from face to face. It only lasted seconds, but they all knew he felt as if they were suffocating him. When Cass finished, his hearts rate slowly dropped, and his gasping evened out into regular breathing. Hank crooned while he drifted back to sleep.

Time slowed to a crawl as they chatted about nonsense while they watched his chest sink in a little as he struggled with each breath. Events in the conference room faded as they chatted about earth-bound versions of the Doctor's adventures. Hank found himself chuckling when Rory talked about Thete jumping out of a cake at his stag party. They all chuckled. Except for Harkness. The man's fury had calmed, but he still stared holes into the back of Hank's head.

"Hank, what time is it?" he asked sleepily breaking a moment of quiet.

"Almost eleven, son. How do you feel?"

"Where are my mums?" Thete couldn't open his eyes. He was oblivious to anyone else in the room.

"Who, son?" Hank leaned over, sure he'd misunderstood his muffled voice.

"My mums, where are they?"

"You mean Nan and Sarah?" Hank asked perplexed by the question. "He must be dreaming," he whispered to Sarah.

Thete nodded slightly.

Sarah rolled her eyes as she and Nan both joined Hank. "What's wrong, Cowboy?" Nan asked as she put a fresh cold flannel across his forehead.

"I like havin' a mum. Other people have a mum, and I get two." He giggled. "I lied to you," he said seriously as he clutched her hand. "I'm sorry."

"What did you lie about, sweetheart?" Nan stroked his head surprised by his moment of clarity.

"When you asked what was bothering me, I said nothing. I didn't want you to worry. I am going away soon; I don't want to, but K'Nar will be there."

"What the bloody hell is he talking about?" Jack pushed over to his bed.

"Don't leave me, okay?" Thete mumbled to Nan and Sarah, "I don't want to die without my mums."

Sarah's knees buckled as the entire room joined them. Nan swallowed hard before she could speak. "You listen to me right now. You are not dying. You feel bad, but you are not dying," she said firmly.

"I don't want to die, but I'm tired, and my head hurts - bad. All the time. But, it's okay, K'Nar's calling," he mumbled.

"Thete, open your eyes and look at me now." Nan waited until he was looking at her. "Look around this bed and you will see the people who love you with all their hearts. It doesn't matter if you can't remember their faces. They love you. We love you. No matter how bad you feel, you will not give up. Doctor Jones is giving you blood and new antibiotics, and you will get better. You will fight back against this, do you hear me?"

"Thete, listen to me." Sarah stroked his head. "Your mums are telling you to fight back. I'm going to get Cass, and she will give you something for your headache. She'll suction your lungs again so you can breathe better, and then you will go back to sleep and get well. You got it, mister?" Sarah motioned Amy to come stand next to Nan and take his hand. "This is Amy. You remember Amy, she's your friend from Britain. She's going to hold your hand while I get Cass. Don't flirt with her, alright? She's married." Sarah headed for Cass, only to meet her as she came through the door. "He's really congested again, and his head hurts. Cass, he's talking about dying."

"I heard. It's okay, Sarah; it's just his fever making him talk silly. I've got something for his headache. It'll help with his fever too. We'll get him suctioned and do a blood gas. Don't panic, okay?"

Ignoring the nurse, Jack pushed next to Amy, leaned over the rail next getting as close to Thete's ear as possible and whispered. "You listen to me," he said tersely. "I don't care if you remember me or not, but I didn't travel five thousand miles to watch you lay in a bed feeling sorry for yourself! You will not lay in this bed and give up! I will drag you, kicking and screaming, away from the edge if I have to. Do you hear me, Doc? You will not give up. Maybe that's why Rose is gone - because you're a coward. Is that what you are? A coward that just lays around and gives up when things are tough? That is the definition of the word. Get up and fight me, damn it!"

Thete tried to open his eyes, but couldn't. "Hank?" he asked, confused.

When Jack looked up, everyone, including Cass, stared at him in shock. Unable to take anymore, he smacked the headboard and walked out. River and an extremely angry Hank were close behind. Hank clenched his fists, ready to punch him. He might go to jail, but he would put this idiot in his place. Hank was surprised to find Jack leaning against the wall, quietly crying.

"Is that how you talk to a sick, scared kid? How dare you yell at him!" Hank growled.

Jack levelled an angry look at Hank. "Go to hell, Munson. You have no idea."

"What, that you are an idiot? You threatened a kid whose fighting for his life. Do you always practice being stupid, Captain?"

"If it makes him mad enough to fight harder, yeah - I will threaten him."

"I was wrong, you aren't an idiot; you're a jackass that happens to be an idiot. What - did you get up this morning, and stand in front of the mirror while you were shaving and say: gee, today, I think, I'll be an idiot? Is that your plan, Harkness? Becoming the world's greatest jackass-idiot."

"I ought to..." Jack snarled as he curled his hand into a fist, relaxing it only when the state trooper stood up and glared.

Hank dropped his voice. "I'm sure you think that challenged him somehow, but there are better ways than threatening him to get him to fight. I also know you'd love to punch me. Well, we'll go outside, and you can whale on me if it makes you feel better, but in here, it isn't helping. It's just - damn, man, it's not helping."

"Mr Munson, you are right- I very much want to put a fist in your mouth. I will not lose him. I lost his brother, I've lost my brother, I am not losing him. If he remembers what I said and he hates me enough to fight back, I don't care. As long as he is alive, I can live with the hate. What I can't live with is anymore grief." Jack's voice cracked. "I have to get out of here; I can't do this. I'm in the way, anyway."

Jack pushed away from the wall and stepped closer to Hank. "You told your wife she didn't see him this morning during that flash back. Well, you didn't see him on the vids they made of torturing him. They were going to fu - - they were going to sell him." Jack spit the words out.

"There are things on those vids that I can't even begin to tell you, but it was worse than any nightmare you can imagine. You need to know that I have loved him for a long time, so don't you try me. Like I said, I fight dirty!" Jack barely contained his fury.

River laid a hand on his arm. "Jack, calm - -"

"Don't, River." He jerked away. "You don't know me well enough to tell me to calm down."

"Excuse me." The three looked up to see an old man dressed in a wrinkled black suit.

Hank was grateful for the interruption and smiled at the old man. "Mr Schlesser, what can we do for you?"

"I came late, but the boy, he's not good tonight?"

"No - no, he's not. We didn't bother you, did we?" Hank asked.

"No, he usually sends a message to us from his nurse about now. This is the time when Minnie cries so much. He tells us that just as soon as he can, he's coming to help her feel better. Nan says that he worries for her. When Cass didn't come, I just wanted to check on him."

"That's very kind of you - Mr Schlesser." River wiped a tear away.

"Maybe you could tell him for me, my Minnie is sleeping better tonight. Perhaps he will rest better."

Jack straightened, looked at the old man and smiled. "Mr Schlesser, would you tell him, yourself? It might perk him up. Remind him that he made a promise, and challenge him to fight a bit harder so he can keep his promise."

When they walked back in, Thete lay quietly, with the head of his bed halfway up to help him breathe easier. The nasal cannula gone, his oxygen mask fogged with each laboured breath. He still held Amy's hand. The angry, concerned gaze of everyone sitting next to him bored into Jack as the three men and River walked back in. When Nan and Sarah saw Mr Schlesser, their faces softened into smiles for the older man. They talked every night over a late cup of coffee. He stepped up to the bed, smiled, and laid a gentle hand on Thete's arms.

"Hello young man, can you hear me?" When he didn't move, Mr. Schlesser called again and was rewarded with a pair of sleepy green eyes opening.

Thete blinked in confusion at him. He listened to the soft, elderly voice but didn't recognise it.

"You always worry about my wife, and send a message for her when she cries - do you remember?"

"Did they hurt her? Is she alright?" Thete gasped under his mask as he tried to sit up.

"She is fine tonight. But you, look at you. So, when are you coming to see my Minnie?"

"In the morning, I'll come in the morning." Thete's voice was barely audible.

"Good. I'll tell her. Now, you sleep and feel better, yes? We'll see you in the morning. It's Rosh Chodesh Chesvan. Don't forget, you promise to come see my Minnie."

"Promise," Thete whispered.

"What's Rosh..." Rory asked.

"Transition day, or a new beginning. We will have a new beginning, yes?" He patted Thete's arm. The old man stepped away and shook Jack's hand as he left.

"Thank you." Jack smiled gratefully at the old man. "If he thinks he's saving her, he won't give up." Jack looked over at Hank. "Looks like the universe gave me a better way. Martha, I am taking Ianto back to the hotel. I am in the way, and he doesn't need the tension." Jack stepped up to the Thete, kissed his forehead and whispered something no one else could make out, then looked at Martha. "Call me for anything." He shot an angry glare at Hank and walked out alone.

o0o

"It's midnight, go home," Hank ordered his wife, "and take Nan with you. Call me when you get there so I won't worry."

"I'm ..." Nan began to protest.

"Yes, you are. This time, it's my turn to throw you out," he chuckled softly. "There's nothing you and Sarah can do for the rest of the night. Go get some sleep. There's no reason for everyone to be exhausted."

"Mr Munson is right," Martha interrupted. "Thete is sleeping easier, and his fever is down a bit. The antibiotics are kicking in. You should get some rest. We're going to take turns in the call room."

Hank kissed his wife goodbye, then kissed Nan on the forehead and watched the two leave. With River resting in the call room that left Amy and Rory to share the night watch. At least they had youth on their side. He did notice though that they had begun to ramble a bit. He liked them. Of the four friends he'd seen, they fit Thete. He could picture them as friends without difficulty. As Thete continued to doze, Hank listened to the young couple stories of their adventures back packing around the world. He chuckled when Amy told him of Thete's lack of dancing ability, looking more like a spastic chimp than anyone else brave enough to dance at her wedding. Watching Amy caress his hand, he couldn't resist asking the one question that had bothered him since he'd heard River talk to him.

"Is it a cougar thing?"

"What?" Rory sputtered, giving Hank an incredulous look.

"Whatever is going on between Thete and River - is it a cougar thing? I mean she's what, forty, forty-five?" Hank couldn't hide his parental concern, but he wasn't prepared for Amy's burst of laughter.

"Oh God, I'm sorry. He didn't wake up, did he?" She immediately jumped up, watching Thete shift a little.

"No, he's fine." Hank whispered. "Answer the question. I mean, I know it's not really my business, but it might be important for him, a way for him to connect. And, frankly - it's a bit peculiar. He doesn't seem the type to go after someone twice his age."

"Mr Munson, I wish I could tell you that's what it is, but right now it's just a really close friendship. " Amy brushed Thete's hair back. The mist from his mask collected on his eyelashes. " She loves him, but he doesn't always seem to get that. He's a bit dense when it comes to women. It could turn out to be a cougar thing, I guess. "

"What's a cougar thing ?" They glanced up to see Martha walk in with a second unit of blood.

"River and Thete," Rory answered. "Thought you were taking a nap?"

"I thought, I'd get this going first." Martha held up his second unit of blood. "A cougar thing might do them both some good." She chuckled as she wiped his face dry, then kissed his forehead. "A little experienced love certainly would make your life more interesting wouldn't it, you silly prat?"

Lost in a fevered dream, Thete mumbled something as he pushed Martha's hand away. Unfocused eyes blinked sleepily, then closed again. _There are too many fuzzy creatures on this planet,_ he thought as he drifted to a restless sleep.


	28. Chapter 28 The Vigl part 2

"Leave me alone."

Thete groaned as he pushed hands away from his face. Blurry images refused to stay in focus. First two and then three things moved, and danced around making it difficult to know where to yell. Cold enveloped him sending painful shivers through his thin body. How could he be this cold when his insides felt as if they were on fire? He didn't like this place. This place confused him, and made him feel bad.

The creatures insisted on sticking him with things or touching him. They tried to make him cough. Coughing made breathing hard, and it hurt - a lot. Sooner or later, they had to go away, and when they did, he would find some way to leave this place. A fuzzy face floated back into view, kissed his forehead, and left.

The other creatures in this strange place stayed behind, breathing, clicking their fangs and making strange noises to each other that he couldn't understand. Their machines beeped and blew things in his face. They shifted, making their chair squeak or made something clang when they bumped his sleeping surface. What did you call a sleeping surface anyway? There had to be a proper word.

When he opened his eyes, fuzzy creatures looked back and smiled. He didn't like the smiles; there were too many teeth. Grumbling, unable to keep his eyes open, Thete drifted. Leaving would have to wait just a little bit longer, until the fuzzy creatures went away. He could hear them make little noises. One of them laughed, it was shrill and annoying. The noises were so loud that they seem to echo in the dark. Why were fuzzy creatures so noisy ? He would just take a little kip while he waited for the creatures to go way. Sooner or later they had to go away. Maybe they would go on a hunt for others and make them suffer.

Unable to focus more than a few seconds, he had trouble formulating a plan. His chest ached, and he hurt in a place a person wasn't supposed to hurt. The pressure in that place made him sick to his stomach. There must be something in the air blowing in his face that made him feel bad. He reached to push the air away. A fuzzy creature patted his hand then put the air back. He needed to get rid of it soon. He'd feel better if he could get rid of the nasty air. He drifted again, vaguely remembering that he needed to do something.

Why did he need a plan?

The creature wiped his face dry, put a cold cloth on his forehead, and then stuck something in his ear. Thete tried to wiggle away when the creature kissed his forehead. Why did fuzzy creatures keep kissing him? Maybe they were tasting him. Once more, he drifted. They muttered, "it's up". What was up? Was he going up? For some strange reason things seemed to grow colder. Maybe it was winter in this place. Somebody definitely needed to fix the heat.

The creatures seemed to want to touch him a lot, constantly wiping his face. He was burning inside, therefore; they must be basting him. He didn't want to be barbecued and eaten, but when he tried to protest the idea, they didn't seem to understand. They just wiped his face again and patted him. For a while, the fuzzies were quiet, leaving him to drift on a murky cloud of nothingness. Some little noise roused him in time to watch them leave. They muttered something about breaks as they left. Maybe, they were going to break someone else. The only light in the dark room came from the things beeping above his bed. He peeped from under heavy eyelids and watched the door close, he realized that they were leaving silence behind. No one else was in the room.

He was alone, perfectly and wonderfully alone. They were remarkably stupid if they thought he was asleep, but that was alright, he had a plan. What was the plan?

His escape route was only a few feet away. He didn't like the things that the fuzzy creatures left stuck in and on him. They pulled and hurt when he moved. They must be the cause of why he felt so miserable. This whole place was terrible. He didn't want to be in this place. Fishing seemed a much better idea. He didn't remember exactly what fishing was, or if he ' d ever actually gone fishing, but at least he ' d be outside and free. He ' d just find K ' Nar, and they ' d go fishing. All he had to do was keep it together long enough to sneak past the door, and get around those creatures. The thought flitted through his mind they might be people. They didn't look like people. They were exceptionally fuzzy to be people.

Thete ignored waves of dizziness and nausea as he forced himself upright. He tried to suppress the urge to groan or cough. It hurt, but they might hear. A bell went off somewhere followed by an eyestalk thing going past his window. He watched carefully making sure the creatures didn ' t come back before pulling the blowing thing off his face. Who knew what kind of poison was pumping through the thing. Now he could breathe air, properly balanced air containing twenty point ninety-five percent oxygen, seventy-eight percent nitrogen with just a touch of carbon dioxide and argon, that was what he needed. If he could breathe that, his head would clear soon enough.

Sticky stuff pulled his hair hurting him. Despite the new discomfort, he succeeded at yanking the offending thing out. Warm, slimy stuff ran down the side of his neck. The smell made his stomach roll. The thing in his hand followed. The amount of slimy stuff mixing with the cold wet stuff now dripping on his bed confused him. One thing was certain, fuzzy creatures put a lot of sticky stuff on things.

The pain was worth it, though. Now they couldn ' t pump any more poison into him. It made him feel horrible. He was still cold, not quite able to stop shaking. He needed to find some warm clothes somewhere, and then he ' d be warm again. K ' Nar would know where to find a place to be warm. He tried to call for her, but she didn ' t answer.

His stomach threatened to erupt making his body ache and harder to breathe.

Throwing off the cold, heavy thing lying on top of him was hard, but eventually he succeeded. Why did everything have to be so bloody heavy, he thought as he struggled to over the side of the cage. It was like trying to climb a tree upside down. He just couldn't seem to get enough power to get over the big limb thing, so he wiggled to the foot. Fuzzy creatures were truly stupid; they forgot to close the end door to the cage. It was a bit easier than the tree.

Things pulled at the hair of his chest. The things inside him really hurt. Figuring how to solve the problem required concentrated effort that, for the moment, failed. He took a breath and yanked ... hard.

Bloody hell, that hurt.

Now he was almost free. All the offending, pulling things that he could reach were gone. He just needed to make it of the rest of the way out of cage. Struggling over the end, he managed to stand on his feet, when the door flew open.

They were back.

Swaying against the wave of dizziness threatening to sweep him off his feet, he tried to think of a proper threat, but came up with nothing.

_Why does the universe hate me_, he thought as he stared at the faces of his stunned captors.

o0o

Thete stood at the end of his bed wild eyed, muttering unintelligible nonsense about creatures. Blood ran from the side of his neck soaking his gown. Blood from his IV site dripped from his fingers mixed with blood dripping from his manhood landing in tiny dots on the floor. His IV fluids and second precious unit of Time Lord blood soaked his bed. Knowing that it had to hurt like hell to pull his catheter out, both men winced as they mentally crossed their legs. Cass only saw a furious urologist.

"Son of a bitch!" came out of Cass's mouth before she had a chance to think.

Thete weaved in front of them as he tried to take a step, only to collapse into Rory and Hank's arms. They barely had time to catch him before he began throwing up.

"Bloody hell Doctor!" Rory said as he clutched his best friend and lowered him to the floor. They were all stunned by the mess he'd made of himself.

"Ten minutes, you were alone for ten minutes." Cass fussed as she moved to turn his blaring alarms off, and grabbed a towel handing it to Rory to put pressure on his neck while Hank grabbed one to clean his face. Within seconds, the rest of the staff joined them to find their favourite patient moaning incoherently, and shivering as he tried to push hands away.

He wanted K'Nar, and he really wanted away from these fuzzy things.

"Thete, boy, what did you do?" Hank asked, "Where were you going?"

"Don't like it here. Hurts," he mumbled through chattering teeth. "Shoot the eyestalks, if you shoot the eyestalks they can't fight. You can make them fishing poles then. Fishing poles with eye stalks. Clothes, I need clothes." He struggled to pull away only to have Rory and Hank hold him tighter. "K'Nar I have to get her. She's crying. I hear her crying. Let. Me Go."

"His bed's ready, let's get him up." Cass instructed.

"Jeez, you're a mess, Doctor." Crossing Thete's arms across his chest, Rory got a grip under his arms while the nurses and Hank got under his back and legs and lifted him back on the bed.

"What's he talking about?" Hank gave a confused look to Rory and Cass.

"He's delirious. It's probably something he's dreamt. I'll get Martha." Rory told them. "Behave, you skinny git," he whispered to the shivering Time Lord.

Cass was grateful that Sally was back and moved quickly to help clean Thete up and back on the monitors. The older nurse had not expected to find Thete still in the unit, let alone fighting to survive the night. Once he was settled the older nurse smiled at Cass and offered to inform the doctors and supervisor about the incident. Cass gathered supplies to restart his IV worrying what Wilson and Kathy would say. As much as she hated filling out incident reports the thought that they would be disappointed was killing her. The thought of explaining this mess to the supervisor didn't thrill her either. They were all going to want to know how a critically ill patient wound up in the middle of the floor, throwing up and bleeding everywhere.

Cass hated stupidity in nurses. It was especially difficult to accept in herself. For everyone to leave at the same time, was downright stupid. Still, they were visitors. He was her responsibility. How could he pick just the exact moment when his neighbour crashed to pull this stunt? She decided that when finished, she would need to check the moon. It had to be full because so far it was a bizarre night. Then Cass remembered: it was Halloween.

Cass watched the foreign doctor rush in Thete's room. Her rumpled clothes and hair stuck out everywhere gave her a slightly crazed look. Cass flashed an apologetic smile.

"I'm so sorry, Doctor Jones. We've called Doctor Wilson and the urologist. Doctor Harris said that if Wilson trusts you, you can cath him. We can't because of the straddle injury. He would prefer you replace it with cystoscopy. If you want, I can get him on the phone. It's not an excuse, but the patient in eight tried to code on us, and the tech was focused on her. Everyone with him thought he was asleep, so they went for coffee."

"It's not your fault, Cass. As I recall, you said a couple wanted to make you grey. I guess we know which two, hey." Martha reassured her as they headed for his room.

"You stupid prat." Martha muttered as she started assessing the damage Thete had done. Shivering, he still muttered incoherently. "I understand K'Nar, but where did he come up with fishing and fuzzy creatures?" Martha asked Cass as she listened to his congested lungs.

"Hank promised him about one this morning that if he coughed up the crud in his chest, he'd take him fishing. It was about the same time Amy promised him fish fingers and custard. I don't know what the rest is. Probably some Scifi movie he's seen. The fish fingers thing threw me. Y'all have strange names for things. I do have to ask; why does Rory keep calling him doctor as if it's his name?" Cass asked as she rechecked his temperature. "His temp was down earlier, but he's back up to 101 on our thermometer, which you guys, say is like ..."

"105 for him, I just don't get it. Doctor Wilson did everything right to boost his immune system. Plasma, the Gamma Globulin ... Let's get some liquid Ibuprofen in him and turn his blanket down a notch. His third round of antibiotics should be going now. Not freaking wasted on the floor!" Martha immediately regretted her burst of anger. "Sorry, that came out wrong. The name thing is because he received his doctorate so bloody young. It started as a joke because he kept telling us that he was a doctor, and was smarter than us. Now it's just what we call him."

"Just had to ask, it seemed strange." Cass drew a sharp breath. " Can I offer you a suggestion?"

"What?" Martha flashed a tired smile at the young nurse.

"I don't want to hurt your feelings, but if you want him to trust you, stop calling him that. He doesn't know who that person is. He told Nan this afternoon he hated himself, and he didn't want to be Jonathon Smith. That person was either stupid or evil. It doesn't matter that it's not true. It is what he believes."

Martha stared at the nurse unable to think of a response.

"We'll put him in soft restraints, and get the kit for the central line. I'll get the Ibuprofen." Cass smiled tightly. "Do you want to re-start his bladder irrigation?"

Martha watched the door close behind Cass and then turned to the scanner. His abscess had drained significantly, the drain was, thankfully, still stitched in place, but his pneumonia was close to white out in his left lower lobe. This made no sense. There was no way he should still be this sick. What had that bloody child done to his body that she'd missed.

She took a blood sample, dropped it on a test strip, and hit send. In minutes, the TARDIS would have it analysed, and by the time Martha reached the ship, she hoped they would have some clue. She hated sticking another line in, but their options were limited, and he still needed another unit of blood. Martha leaned over the rail and kissed his damp forehead; she smiled when his eyes opened. Cass was right. Right now, this was not the Doctor. He was a scared and sick young man named Thete.

"You want to snog me." He giggled.

"I don't think so, silly." Martha chuckled. "What did you do?"

"I don't like it here, bad people are here. Monsters are here; I saw them. They have eyes on sticks. Stick eyes, they had sticks on eyes." Thete whimpered breathlessly. "This place makes me feel horrible. I don't feel good."

"I know you don't, but we are going to make it better. I promise. You're safe here. We won't let the monsters in, I promise."

"You saw them too?" He knitted his eyebrows together in confusion. " I don't want to die?" He worked his chin.

Martha brushed his damp hair back. With his fever refusing to break and his breathing so laboured, it was no wonder he thought he was going to die.

"They're not here, it was just a dream. You are not going to die, remember you have a promise to keep. You are going to feel awful for a few days, though. I'll figure it out, I promise."

"Where's Hank and my mums? I don't know what to do," Thete mumbled.

"Martha smiled gently. He sounded so... young and so... human. "You really love Nan and Sarah don't you?"

Thete nodded, "And Hank. They saved me, where is he?"

"He's coming back in a minute. Doc - Thete, you have to cough and get the crud out of your chest." Martha fussed as she stuck his finger. "You have to help us. Where were you going?"

"I don't know-somewhere-away. Hank -" Martha smiled at the look on his face when he saw the gentle black man. She nodded as he pulled a chair close to the bed, being careful not to get in her way.

Rory slipped quietly in and stood next to Martha. "Amy and River are outside. River's upset for taking a nap," he said softly. "What do we do now?"

She looked at Rory and Hank. "We put everything back," she answered as they lowered the head of the bed to restart his IV.

Thirty minutes later they walked out to two worried women. Amy walked into Rory's arms.

"Martha, how is he?" River's voice trembled.

"We've restarted his IVs and started another unit of blood. We put his catheter back in. He has some bleeding so to be on the safe side, we'll restart his catheter irrigation. I need to go to the ... ship," she whispered the word. "I need to study the results of his latest labs. This is wrong."

"Well, I guess I'll take you then." River nodded. "Amy?"

"I'll stay with him. Martha, you can fix him - right?"

"I'm going to do my best." Martha smiled.

Five minutes later, both women and Rory stood waiting for the elevator. Rory rocked back on his heels, waiting for the door to open, trying not to yawn. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually slept, instead of just grabbing a kip.

Looking at Martha and River's expressions, he knew they were just as exhausted as he felt.

"Wonder why Americans call elevators - elevators, and we call them lifts?" He winced under the glare of both women. "What? It's not even three in the morning, and I haven't slept in three days. You were expecting lively banter?"

"OH - - shut up Rory." River chuckled softly.

The empty halls echoed as the three headed for the only unlocked door leading to the car park. The night felt like Halloween. Stepping out to the cold night air sent shivers through all of them. Quickly stepping across the parking lot, River led them to where the TARDIS was safely tucked in a nook under the stairwell that led up to the fourth floor invisible to anyone passing by; yellow cones marked the area closed.

River snapped her fingers and grinned as the door opened to welcome her travellers home. River loved the trick. A blast of warm air greeted them as they made their way up the ramp. The lights were already on in the sickbay. The ship had made sure the lab results were posted on the diagnostic screen.

"Alright, Martha," River asked as she stifled a yawn, "what are the lab results?"

Martha stared at the screen in confusion. The answers made little sense. Martha scrolled through the results and then requested the ship to re-run the tests.

"His lab values are completely screwed up," she finally answered. "The good news is that his haemoglobin is almost normal. However, there is still no sign of artron energy. I'd hoped the blood would be the boost he needed to restart at least minimal production. His white count is up, despite his DNA-specific antibiotics which," she smacked the counter in complete frustration, "doesn't really matter because the bacteria have mutated and is now drug resistant. To make life interesting, he could have really hurt himself when he yanked everything. He shouldn't still be this bloody sick. He shouldn't have even gotten this sick," she growled in frustration.

Rory rubbed his face, wishing he had a good, strong cup of coffee. He needed the caffeine. "Martha, if the bacteria mutated, is it possible that the way he responds to meds meant for him has changed? I mean, if K'Nar flipped switches off in his brain, making his body think it's human, could that affect his immune system?"

Martha grimaced, turned around and re-entered her latest scans, asking the TARDIS to check his immune system.

Two minutes later, the results came back.

"Damn," Martha and Rory both said together.

"What?" River straightened.

"When K'Nar pulled this stunt, she didn't have a wide range of templates to copy." Rory started. "She used the low-lifes at the compound. She'd scanned their brains to know who to hide her skills from, and how to pick the ones in which to plant her ideas," "They are what she copied for him but, unfortunately, the template she used was damaged."

Martha continued, "This explains why he has gotten so sick, so fast. He should never have gotten pneumonia to begin with. It probably didn't start until after she decided to save him. When she clicked off what made him Time Lord, she shut his immune system down to a barely functional human one. It's left him immuno-compromised as if he's been given massive doses of chemotherapy. I would love to know how she pulled this off to begin with. Damn that child," she muttered.

"What do we do now?" River asked. "It's not like we can trick it back without K'Nar, and she's on a locked planet, under guard until the trial."

"The TARDIS is giving us a patch. We need to treat him as if he were a chemo patient with an infection. She's giving us two stronger antibiotics geared to kill the specific bacteria causing his pneumonia. Then we'll need to try to re-boot his immune system." Martha tapped the counter impatiently.

Drawer one slid open, revealing three IV bags, plus vials for additional doses. Martha handed them off to Rory. "These are the Time Lord version of Nebcin and Cleocin." Martha picked up a syringe of a reddish, milky substance from drawer two. "And this - - is gene therapy, mixed with concentrated artron energy. This and another unit of blood should help at least give his energy production enough of a boost for the antibiotics to have a better chance to work. At least until we can take him to her to undo the damage. It won't reverse what she did, but it should boost his cellular ability to fight back."

When the three came back, neither Amy nor Hank were happy with the looks on their faces. Martha laid down an arm load of IV's and a syringe as Rory slid an arm around his wife's face and pulled her close. "Have you ever wondered why Americans call elevators - elevators and we call them lifts?"

"What, are you completely bonkers?" Amy whispered angrily, "You left to check the labs and you come back with this stuff and ask me about elevators. What did you find out?"

"I ran his labs through the scanner twice." Martha answered walking up to the bedside. "His immune system has shut down."

Thete groaned, half coughing under his oxygen mask. On reflex, Hank started crooning to him. "Hank, what's wrong?" His voice muffled by the mask sounded weak and tired.

"Nothing son, Doctor Jones is just fixing you a new medicine. It's all right. Go back to sleep." Hank turned his attention back to Martha. "How does that happen? I thought you had to have a disease like AIDS or cancer for that to happen?"

"No, overwhelming stress can do it. And, he's had that in spades. His anomalies may have contributed to the problem since we don't understand all the issues that they could cause. He's never been this sick, so his system was never really challenged." Martha looked down at Thete who was watching her with confused eyes.

He glanced at Hank. "Make them go away, they're making me sick."

"Son, you know that's not true. The people who hurt you made you sick. Doctor Jones is just trying to fix it."

"Hey you, how are you feeling?" Martha crooned as she switched his IV antibiotic out. "We need to switch your meds around."

"Why?" Thete answered, Still groggy, his voice was raw from coughing.

"Thete, look at me." Martha waited until his confused eyes were back on her. "We figured out what's making you so sick." Martha tried to keep the emotion out of her voice.

"What?" He grumbled.

"The antibiotic you were on worked until the bacteria mutated and became drug resistant. Now it's overwhelmed your immune system, causing it to shut down. That is why you've become so sick so fast."

Martha brushed his hair back. He was still burning up. "We need to give you something to boost your immune system and start a different antibiotic. I need to lay you flat so I can inject this syringe into the line in your neck."

Thete blanched slightly at the syringe. From his point of view, it was humongous. "What? Why?"

His confused look made Martha wish for the sloppy grin and the arched eyebrow of his previous incarnation. He might have looked silly when he worked through a problem, but it was at least fun to watch him. This incarnation clenched his eyes shut, and wiggled his chin; it just wasn't the same.

"In the syringe is gene therapy to kick your immune system a bit. We brought a supply of your blood with us on the plane. I've spun down a unit and separated the plasma, and we are going to hang this first dose. It may take three doses to get your system functioning."

"Where's Doctor Wilson?" Thete looked at Hank.

"He's at home." Martha answered as she turned his face back to her. "Because I've taken care of you before, he's letting me take care of you now."

Thete's eyes shifted away to the other strangers standing around his bed. He watched their faces, trying to figure out just what was missing. Another coughing spasm shifted his attention to his ribs as Amy grabbed tissues.

It took several seconds to catch his breath, and then he looked from Hank to Martha.

"I don't remember you. I don't even like you." His words came in between laboured breaths. Thete squeezed Hank's hand.

Martha winced at the comment but smiled gently. "Remember a little while ago, I promised that I would get you better?"

"No."

Martha's heart sank, "Well, okay. I know that right now - you don't like me. I've stuck things in you that hurt, and I made you mad. But, you need to at least trust Hank. He won't let me hurt you. You need this gene therapy, and you need another unit of blood. Hopefully, by morning, your temp will be better," She answered softly, "and you'll feel better."

Thete's attention wavered. "Why can't I remember? I'm so bloody tired. I have terrible dreams..."

Everyone in the room remained quiet while Martha took a breath.

"Thete, look at me. Try to understand. You kept people safe from people who would have blown a hole in the universe. Those people hurt you, and now, you need to let us protect you. When you're better, we will worry about your memory, right now, we have to get you well. "

Thete blinked at her and then looked at Hank.

"Trust that he wouldn't let me do anything to hurt you. He trusts us - me to make you better. All of us love you." Martha laid her hand on his, only to have him pull away.

River leaned over his bed; her eyes were wet with tears. "Please, Thete." River leaned over the rail and kissed his sweaty forehead. "Please, let Martha help."

He reached for Hank's hand, "Hank, I don't know what to do."

"I know, son; it won't hurt." Hank reassured him. "It'll be okay; you just need to hold my hand and trust me."

Ten minutes later Thete had a death grip on Hank's hand as Cass kept the side of his head pressed into the bed, so he couldn't move.

They were wrong. It did hurt.

His neck ached, and the pressure on his head made his jaw hurt. His shoulder ached deep into his fingertips. His lungs burned from not being able to take a deep breath. Tears threatened at the pain.

He could feel the thick goo flow into his veins. He could feel it mix with his blood. He wondered if the death grip he had on the man's hand would hurt Hank. The entire fifteen minutes that Martha pushed the blood product into his neck the man never stopped telling him about taking him fishing when he was healthy and back on his feet.

Finally, Cass let go of his head as he moaned. "How many times do I have to do this?" he groaned. His whole body ached again.

"Two more," Martha answered, "We'll do it again about two, and again about eight."

"And then, I can fight this infection better?" he asked, faintly.

"Yep." She smiled and couldn't resist popping the 'p'

"And I'll stop being so knackered?"

"Yep." Martha tousled his hair. "Try to get some sleep now. Let this stuff kick in."

Martha watched as he closed his eyes, drifting. The group waited until his breathing eased and he was asleep. She thanked Hank, genuinely grateful for his help. Thete wouldn't have even tried to cooperate without the American holding his hand.

Instead of dismissing them, and sitting down, he followed them out to the desk. "Tell me something," he asked as they all found a place to sit down away from the staff.

"If I can," Martha answered as she stifled a yawn. Thete wasn't the only one knackered.

"I've watched you with him. I know you folks care about him. I talked to Amy while you were gone, about his silly dancing, his love for soccer and the hundred silly things he does." Hank's voice trembled with worry and frustration. "How did he get in this mess? I was told he was snatched off a research tour. Now I want the truth. If he's so important, why didn't he have protection? Where was Harkness and Torchwood?" Hank said angrily.


	29. Chapter 29 Jack's Turn

The sound of a mobile buzzing across the nightstand snapped Jack awake at 5:10 in the morning. He didn't actually remember falling asleep, but Ianto was next to him, snoring lightly, so he must have. He grabbed it before it had the chance to vibrate across the table.

"Martha, what's wrong?" he whispered to keep from disturbing Ianto.

"It's been rough, but his temp has dropped, and he's stable, and. We're wiped, Jack; I can't go any further without sleep. Can you come stay with him while Hank takes us to his place?"

"Uh, yeah, but you have hotel rooms or the TARDIS, why Hank's?" He sounded and felt betrayed.

"He offered, just get in here, alright"

"I'll be right there," he answered sharper than he intended. He rolled over and traced a finger down Ianto's jaw line before giving him a quick peck. He couldn't help smiling at the Welshman grumbling in his sleep. The thought of all the things he'd like to do at that moment broadened the smile. None involved slipping quietly out of bed, but he did. He had just pulled his braces up when Ianto raised up on one elbow looking at him with concern.

"Go back to sleep, he's okay. They just need me to stay with him while they get some sleep."

"I can come, Jack. I don't mind." His voice was still husky with sleep.

"No," Jack answered as he crossed back over to sit next to his partner. "The Americans have all gone home. I'll be fine."

"You'll call if you need me - - right?" Ianto sounded unsure.

"Yes, go back to sleep. When you're ready, just tell the old girl what you want, and she'll guide you to the galley."

"Really, just say - what; is there a phone or something?"

Jack chuckled at the thought. "No, just think it or say it out loud, and then follow the path she makes."

He started to grab his great coat, but then traded it for a jacket, feeling half dressed as he walked out without his equivalent of a security blanket.

Ten minutes after she called, Jack stood outside the unit's doors, taking deep breaths to make sure his emotions were under tight control. Only a few hours ago, he'd walked out feeling useless and angry. With his hand on the door fingers spread wide, his mind raced with emotions he thought buried years ago. Every time that he wished, the stupid blue box would just appear in the Hub and when it finally did ... Jack had to admit, he wasn't just angry with Hank, he was jealous.

How pathetic was that?

Spending time with Ianto had helped him past the fury. He no longer wanted to put a fist in Hank's mouth, but he wasn't quite ready to play nice with the man either. He took another deep breath, shook the cobwebs from his brain and shoved the feeling under a rock. He pushed the button and entered when the door buzzed open. The girl sitting behind the desk seemed the only staff around around. Common sense told him otherwise. The sight of the girl dressed in a scrub shirt with Halloween characters and jeans brought a snort from Jack. The outfit made her look about twelve. Jack chuckled inwardly. He had shoes that were older. He flashed a smile at the monitor tech as he stuck his wrist up to show his orange wristband. She barely glanced up as she took a swallow of her soft drink and nodded.

"You must be Jack Harkness," she said as she put the bottle down. "Cass said you were coming back. Let me know if you need anything, just wave at the camera, I'll see ya'." She sounded disgustingly cheery for so early in the morning.

Jack just nodded as he walked to the room feeling a bit as if he were headed for execution. Shadows fell across the bed, giving the room a creepy look. Thete looked as fragile as the vase Ianto had given Gwen at last year's Christmas party. His chest sank in a bit with each laboured breath fogging his mask as he inhaled the medicated mist. Jack could hear him struggle from the doorway. Despite the oxygen, a clip monitor on his finger, measured his oxygen level at just ninety-two percent. How he could be stable when he looked as bad as the night before.

"Had it rough," that's what Martha had said.

Rough, hell. Not only had they tied him down, but they'd left him in the dark. Dressings covered old IV sites. New IV's replaced the old. Jack's eyes traced the tubing from a large bag of irrigation fluid going... Jack winced at where it was going. His heart rates were too fast, but at least they were regular. Jack sucked in an even deeper breath, pushing his boiling anger and the urge to yell at Martha away. Why hadn't she called and tell him that he'd obviously gotten worse.

Jack shifted his focus to the stranger sitting next to him, nursing a cup of coffee while trying to read the local paper with a pen light. They could have at least waited for him to show up before leaving him with a stranger. Jack swallowed hard when the man looked up and then rose to meet him.

"You must be Captain Harkness?" Mike Leland extended his hand.

Jack returned the handshake, "And you are?" Jack replied tersely.

"Mike Leland. I'm the State Trooper assigned to his protection detail during the day. My predecessor's wife went in to labour, so I was called in. I like the kid, it wasn't a problem to come in early."

"Why's he tied down like this?" Jack forced a deep breath to remain calm.

"He got a little ambitious. Everybody thought he'd finally gone to sleep, so they stretched their legs. He decided to use the alone time to go fishing. He yanked his IV's and catheter out, pulled his leads off and climbed out the end of the bed. He almost made it to the door, before collapsing. I guess it was a mess. Cass said he barfed all over Hank and some guy named Rory."

"They weren't supposed to leave him alone." Jack snapped.

"I don't think he was alone for long. From what John said, it was a rough few hours. They needed to stretch."

"John, who's John?"

"My predecessor. He felt bad too."

"Martha should have called. I would have come back sooner." Jack's voice was borderline cold.

"Maybe, they thought you needed your own alone time. From what I heard, you were pretty wired."

Jack flashed a quick look of anger at the officer and then re-focused on Thete. "Yeah - I suppose I was," he admitted.

Leland chuckled softly. "Anyway, I'm guessing, he thought that fishing sounded like a better idea than staying in this place, especially at three in the morning. When you're delirious, and you think people are out to get you, well you just don't want to hang around. I was tied down for three weeks after I was ambushed."

Jack paid little attention to the officer's rambling.

"They actually videoed his torture for their viewing pleasure." Jack's hate filled voice was barely audible. "He was already gone by the time the locals took us on the raid of that hellhole. They had hours of videos of hurting him over and over. They'd planned..." He swallowed hard. The last thing he intended was unloading on a stranger. "Sorry, didn't mean to ..." Jack sucked in a lung full of air.

"Not a problem." Leland stood and stretched. "I'm going to top off the coffee, and then I'll be outside." Leland turned to face Jack, "Captain, from what I've been told, most of the people who did this are in jail, right?"

"Yeah, most of them, why?"

"From what I understand about Eastern European justice; it tends to be swift and one way. Not a lot of appeals. My advice to you, is to focus on helping Thete get well, not plot revenge." The officer flashed a knowing smile as he left. "Just a thought," he called from the doorway.

Jack stared after the man, shook his head, and turned his attention to Thete. His own heart pounded as he walked up to the bed. For just a tick, he hesitated before leaning over to kiss Thete's bruised, damp forehead. "Sorry about the whole Rose thing. I've got your back, you silly sot - always. Don't you dare give up. Besides, if you do, apparently, it means that River would get the TARDIS since she's the only one of us who can fly her. Imagine her, bouncing all around time and space, hey?"

He studied Thete's face. His eyebrows knitted together, his eyes quivered underneath his lids. His fingers tried to scrunch his sheet. He was dreaming.

Reaching out to his mind, Jack felt nothing, but fear and overwhelming pain. He caught glimpses of a whip singing through the air followed by a woman's maniacal laughter. Rhythmic moans and a child's screams echoed across Thete's mind. Jack jerked back from the start of a full blown, fever induced nightmare.

Jack took a breath and tried again. This time, he projected a picture of the Doctor alone in his TARDIS with the lights low, and soft music filling the ship. The ship floated in the vortex, calming the Doctor's jagged nerves. Slowly, the blackness gave way to a field where warm breezes tickled the tips of red grass. As soon as he was sure that the Doctor was at peace, Jack stepped back from his mind. He should never be able to reach inside his friend's mind. The fact that it was so easy scared Jack. His Time agency training didn't come close to equalling the Doctor's telepathic abilities. Between K'Nar and those bastards, they had caused so much damage.

When Jack opened his eyes, he was relieved to see Thete shifting to get comfortable. He reached over, untied the wrist restraint, and chuckled when he immediately curled on his right side, and tucked his free hand up under his chin. He looked more like a Thete than the Doctor. Jack half expecting him to plop his thumb in his mouth.

"Is there a reason his hand is untied?"

Jack looked to see Cass standing in the door, carrying a bag of IV fluids. He winced under her withering glare. Not only did she look exhausted from a tough shift, but she also looked in a particularly foul mood. Her dark hair had come loose from her pony tail, and specks of dried blood spotted her scrubs May be tough shift was not the most apt description of an obviously lousy night.

Jack couldn't resist a cheeky grin. "Good morning. I figured as long as I'm here, he might as well look comfortable."

"We had him secured for a reason, Captain," she spoke brusquely. "It was to protect him. By untying his hand, you put him at risk, and I really don't appreciate that. You folks really aren't into asking permission before you do things, are you?" The young nurse stepped around him as she changed his fluids, and checked Thete.

"He's had a very rough night, and he needs to be protected from any more excursions." While she glared at Jack, silently daring him to intervene, she gently secured Thete's hand

"What will they do to the nurse who left him?" Still angry, Jack expected someone to be punished.

Cass turned back to face Jack open mouthed. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you correctly."

"She left him. What will they do to her?"

"First of all, I took care of him all night, and I didn't leave him. We had a patient code." Cass almost snarled the words, obviously struggling to keep her voice low. "Second, everyone, especially me, feels horrible for what happened. Last, but not least, it wasn't anyone's fault. Your friends and Hank needed to stretch and went for a cup of coffee - in our lounge! Everyone thought he was asleep. He was delirious, and chose to use the time to escape fuzzy creatures. It happens. Doctor Jones was here immediately, changed his meds and figured out why he was in trouble. No one - left him! Don't you dare suggest that we would neglect him!"

Jack frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to suggest - I'm sorry. No one called me." Jack held his hands up defensively. "No one told me how bad he was." Jack wondered if this girl might somehow be related somehow to Donna Noble or worse Jackie Tyler. He half expected a resounding thwack across his cheek.

"Maybe ... Maybe, they didn't call you because you threatened him, for whatever reason that you thought that was a good idea. We care about Thete a lot, Captain. He's very sick, and sick people sometimes do stupid things, even under constant monitoring. Now, I need to finish up for the shift."

Cass turned back to Thete's IV pump, drew a breath and then turned again. "I wasn't happy when Doctor Jones said you were coming back. If I had my way, you would not be allowed back on this unit. I didn't get a vote. Mrs Carson and the Munsons are exhausted," she said with a hard-edged professional tone. "You can stay if you behave; otherwise, I'll have Officer Leland take you for a cup of coffee until they can come back."

Jack tried to act properly chastised. "Yes ma'am," he answered simply. He'd still give Martha an earful, though.

It was almost seven when a proper parade of individuals started. First the middle-aged woman who smiled and chatted as she gave Thete a breathing treatment. Other than a groan, Thete paid no attention. That worried Jack. Her scratchy voice and southern accent alone should have gotten some kind of response. When she stuck a catheter in his nose, Jack couldn't help his own reflexive gag. It didn't matter how many times he saw someone do that, it still looked nasty. Thete barely woke, and promptly went back to sleep when she finished.

By seven-thirty, he had been X-Rayed, had blood drawn and a needle stuck in his artery. Three different doctors, none of whom Jack recognised were in to check on him. In the few minutes that they were in, Jack learned nothing. Thete never moved. Shortly after the last doctor, someone named Nevis left, a new nurse walked in carrying fresh linen and towels. Her blue scrubs barely hid the promise of a shapely figure. The lack of makeup and blonde, curly hair contained with just a clip made her look impossibly young, Jack jumped up to greet her. "Hi, I'm..."

"Hello, Captain Harkness," Abby greeted. "Cass told us about the cranky guy without a British accent during report."

"Yeah, well that encounter didn't go to well." Jack scratched the back of his head and chuckled.

"So I heard. You should know; I expect you to behave while we give him a bath," she said with a warm smile.

"Yes ma'am." Jack nodded. "I will do my best. How are his vital signs? He's still having a hard time breathing."

"His temp is down a bit, staying between 101 and 102 when you adjust for his differences. Doctor Jones left us a chart to follow his temp. His X-ray is actually a bit better. We will do an ultrasound this morning to check his abscess. When I left, I really was hoping he'd have a better night."

"Yeah, so did I. Why doesn't he awake up?"

"Part of it is his pain med. He had a dose of Morphine and Ativan about five. He's still having bad headaches and not coughing from his chest hurting. His whole body hurts. The rest is because of his fever."

"I know that Martha said his head injury wasn't that bad despite having his head slammed every time he said no, but he complained a lot about headaches last night. Why are they still so bad?"

Abby walked over to Thete. "Not every head injury shows on a CT scan, Captain. They can be normal in a mild head injury. The main symptom is still a headache. You add stress and sepsis; you have confusion and headaches."

Jack marvelled at her gentleness as she brushed damp hair back out of his eyes. "Thete, honey, can you wake up for me," Abby crooned.

Jack watched Thete turn toward Abby, like a bee to a flower. Even asleep, he reached for her hand. It was a relief for Jack when he saw Thete blink sleepily, and heard his raw husky voice. "Abby - - feel bad," he mumbled, oblivious to Jack.

"I know Hon, but your X-ray is better this morning. I'm going to give you a bath and get some sweat off of you. Your friend is here - - from England."

Thete turned his head, blinking at the strange face, "Don't know him, Abby," he muttered sleepily then closed his eyes.

Jack's heart sank. He wanted nothing more than to have some sign the Doctor knew his face. He sighed heavily as Abby shot him an apologetic look as she started his bath.

When a second nurse came to help Abby turn Thete over, Jack audibly gasped, unable to stop the profanity. He wasn't prepared to see the Doctor's back covered in deep, black bruises, and lacerations from his beatings. Deep, angry, red welts and cuts still covered the back of his thighs and bum. A night of delirium made them look sore and raw. Only sheer will power kept Thete upright while waiting for them to show up. Jack ran his hand through Thete's hair, noticing the missing patches for the first time. Someone trimmed his hair trying to make it look - better. Jack sucked a lung full of air but couldn't stop his tears.

"Damn, Doc, what did you think you were doing going off by yourself? Why didn't you come get me? I swear to you, they'll pay. I will hunt them down and make sure they all pay."

Abby flashed Jack a smile of support. She finished his bath, changed the drainage pad under his bum and tried to make Thete as comfortable as possible. "If you need me for anything," Abby said as she finished straightening Thete's sheets, "just - -"

"Wave at the camera," Jack finished for her. "I know."

"You can hit his call light, but the speaker is off. You'll just need to give us a minute. Captain," she said reassuringly."Thete survived the worst last night. His new antibiotics are working. I will be back in about thirty minutes for his next set of checks."

"Thanks, Abby."

True to her word, Jack looked up twenty-nine minutes later to see Abby come in with a new tech. This time they made him step out while they did an ultrasound. Jack stood in the doorway and watched as Thete mumbled in protest but otherwise continued to sleep.

Maybe, he'll slip into a healing coma. Jack hoped.

That wish died when it took Abby to hold his arm as he groaned and tried to pull away from the lab tech drawing more blood. Doctor Wilson came in at nine, listened to Thete's chest and chatted. He tried to reassure Jack that things were looking up. Jack liked Wilson: he was smart, professional and cared about the Doctor, but Jack decided that he would kick the next person that used those words. Every doctor that had stuck their head in, used those words, but Thete was still congested, still had a fever and still looked awful.

"Hi." a soft voice interrupted his reverie. "Doctor Wilson says he's better, but he still looks awful, don't you think?"

Jack looked up to see a young woman with an orange wristband, and dressed in street clothes, standing in the doorway. She hesitated just a second before almost gliding toward the bed. Jack rose to greet the petite, graceful young woman. Her blue eyes sparkled with an inner joy that Jack rarely saw in another person. Her black hair hung in one long braid. For just a moment, Jack thought K'Nar had walked in the room. At the very least, this beautiful young woman looked enough like K'Nar to be her older sister.

"Hello." Jack greeted; unable even to be cheeky. "I'm - -"

"Jack Harkness, I know. I'm Annie Gleeson. I talked to Sarah last night and again this morning. I promised I'd check on Thete before I went to work."

"Sorry for staring, but you look so much like someone we know."

"It's okay," Annie smiled as she walked over to the bed, "I know that I look like K'Nar. Thete thought that I was her when he first saw me. Sarah said that he was really sick during the night. She said Hank was still upset when he came home." She giggled slightly, "I hear you two had a bit of a dust up," she said without a trace of anger or resentment.

Jack just groaned at her comment. They must be the topic of gossip.

"I'm glad you could come in," she continued as she stroked Thete's forehead. "He doesn't do well if one of us isn't here."

Thete turned toward the sound of her voice, stirring just a little. "Annie?"

"Hey, Thete," Annie crooned. She sounded like a mom talking to a baby. "I came to give you, your quiz before I go to work. It's a toughie today."

"Not today. Don't feel good." The mask muffled his words.

"Ah, that's why we're doing it. We need to wake your brain up; get your juices flowing. Here, it is; what's baryonic matter?" Annie looked at Jack and grinned.

"That's not fair; I'm sick," Thete whinged.

"Come on, I bet - - you don't know the answer. I bet, I beat you this time."

"It's dark matter whose presence can be inferred from its gravitational pull on visible matter. It includes non-luminous gas or very faint stars. Short answer, 'cos I'm sick."

Jack couldn't help chuckle. This must be the girl who hung the pictures on the wall.

"Good answer. I got that one from Wikipedia. What's 956x354?"

"338,424," Thete mumbled as sleep began to take him again.

Jack grinned at the young girl. "How often do you do that?" he asked quietly.

She kissed Thete's forehead. "We download four or five a day. It's a game now, but it did help remind him that he's smarter than all of us put together. Even Doctor Wilson didn't know any of this stuff. It's kind of interesting. The baryonic one didn't make a lot of sense."

"How did you get involved in all of this?"

"I was in the café with my baby waiting out the storm. All of a sudden Hank jumps up, cussing and bolts out the door and there is this soaking wet guy pressed against the window, shaking so hard that he barely could stand. When Hank and a couple of guys got him in, he kept begging to go to the plass. When he heard my baby cry, he threatened to beat us all up, and then told us that we could take him back to hell if we just would leave her alone. We could do anything to him as long as no one hurt her." She kept stroking Thete's head.

Jack smiled as she ran her fingers through Thete's hair sending him back into a deep sleep.

"I've never seen anyone so beat up and he kept worrying about Emily. I have to ask, Mr Harkness, what's the plass?"

"It's a plaza that sits down on Cardiff Bay. Our offices are in a building called the Millennium Centre. It's where I live." Jack had to swallow hard to keep his voice calm. "He was trying to come home."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Annie looked up at him, "I didn't mean to upset you. He kept saying he wanted to go home, but he couldn't tell us where it was. Have you caught all the people who did this?"

"You didn't upset me. The slime that did this is another thing and no I haven't caught all of them, but I will. You keep massaging his head, he'll start purring." Jack chuckled again.

Annie took her hand off, laughing nervously. "He does kind of like it. Hank sings, Nan and Sarah mother, and I do scalp massages." She kissed his forehead again. "He's still warm, isn't he? You will make sure he comes back to visit us, won't you? He's like my long-lost, British cousin now."

Jack stood up and walked around to Annie and slipped an arm around her shoulders. "You're the first one to recognise we're taking him home. There is no way that he wouldn't come back to see you. I'm guessing; he'll figure a way to show you Britain. If he doesn't, I will. I'll even get a pushchair with Emily's name on it."

"What's a pushchair?"

"You know - one of those stroller things you put a baby in."

"You guys really have weird names for things, don't you. Okay, I have to get to work." She kissed Thete's head one last time. "I'll be back at lunch to check on him. It was really nice to meet you, Mr. Harkness. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why do you sound American?"

Jack walked around to her, "I'm Canadian," he lied as he hugged her goodbye. For the first time, he didn't feel like the enemy. He liked Annie. He couldn't help wonder why she wasn't at university. She was too smart a girl to be stuck in a shop. That had happened to Rose. Why did such smart kids wind up in shops instead at university?

Alone again, the only sound in the room were the monitors and Thete's breathing. Jack felt more like a worried parent than a friend. He found himself lost in watching Thete's chest rise and fall. At least his breathing was easier than when he arrived. If he stared long enough, maybe Thete would finally feel him and open his eyes. Jack was oblivious to the door opening and Sarah coming in. He jumped when she spoke, her southern accent as cultured as any Londoner.

"He isn't going anywhere, Captain."

Jack jumped, "Mrs. Munson I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

"Years of teaching taught me to walk very quietly," she teased. "It was a long night for everyone; how are you doing today?"

"I'm fine; I'm not going to slug your husband if that's what you mean." Jack smiled tightly.

"I never thought that you would. Hank was wrong for not talking to us, but he feels responsible for Thete. That night in the ER when he thought he was going to be... Well, it nearly killed Hank. It was like seeing one of our boys lying there. When he flipped out again yesterday and then his heart stopped; it almost sent both Hank and Nan to their knees. Nan's son, Derek died in Afghanistan from a roadside bomb. She feels like God sent her another child. The thought of losing him is almost too much."

"I don't know what to say, Mrs. Munson."

Sarah came around and laid a hand on Jack's arm. "I just wanted you to understand why they feel the way they do. Have you tried to wake him up yet?"

"Annie was here. Nice girl, by the way. She got him to wake up for a couple of minutes, then he was back out. I've just let him sleep. When he's awake, he doesn't recognise me."

Sarah chuckled, "He will - sooner or later. You all need to give him time. Now, it's past noon. He needs to wake up a bit. He was exhausted, but we don't want him awake at midnight, do we?" Sarah crossed over to Thete's left side. "You know, he doesn't hear too well on the right. His right ear drum was ruptured. I knew that he would make it. Thete, honey it's time to wake up. You have company."

Thete rubbed the mask away from his face, wrinkled his nose, and shifted in the bed. Jack couldn't help chuckling when he licked his lower lip and scratched the top of his head. He looked kinda cute waking up. Sarah called him again, "Come on now, it's time to wake up."

Thete turned to the sound of her voice. "Sarah?"

"I've got some homemade broth that Doctor Wilson says you can try."

Jack grinned when he saw both green eyes blink and then stare at him in confusion. His expression made Jack's heart sing.

"Sarah, why's he here?"

"To visit, silly. Now, wake up and talk to him. I'll go heat your broth." Sarah ordered gently as she kissed Thete's head. She smiled and left Thete to remember his best friend.

For a few seconds, Thete stared at the man next to him. Still groggy, his eyebrows knitted in confusion at the sight of the stranger. "You're Jack? From Cardiff?" he asked tentatively.

"Yeah, I am. How are you feeling?" Jack kept his voice soft and calm.

Thete tried to look around, "Jack?"

"Yeah that's me." Jack chuckled, hiding the heart break from the look of suspicion on Thete's face.

"Where's Hank?" Thete asked with his eyes locked on the door

"He took everybody home and put them to bed." he said hoping Thete didn't catch the bitter disappointment in his voice. "They were knackered. They'll all be back soon."

"Why are you sitting there?" He asked with uncertainty

"It's my turn to have bedside sitting duty." Jack swallowed a snort as Thete cocked one eyebrow up looking distinctly uncomfortable by his presence. Finally, Jack broke the silence with the most idiotic question he had ever asked. "So - how are you feeling?"

"Tired, my head hurts, but I can breathe better, I think.

"Well I guess that's progress."

"God, my head really does hurt." Thete pushed the palm of his hand first against one eye and then the other. "When's Hank and Nan coming back?"

"This afternoon. Do you want something? Should I get Abby?"

"No. Why are you here?" he asked again, still unsure of this stranger.

"I told you why."

"No, I mean, why are you here? I don't know you, why would you come?"

Jack dropped his head trying to hide his disappointment. "My friend went off by himself and got into trouble. I came because he's sick, and it scared me to death. Which for me, is really hard?" He looked back at Thete's questioning face "You are that friend."

"I don't remember you - any of you: I tried. Sometimes, I feel like I've been blown apart."

"I know, but eventually it gets less scary."

"How would you know? You don't have a hole in your head."

"That's not true. A long time ago, I lost two years of my life that I've never gotten back. Yours will come back, eventually. But first, you just have to get well. When you're stronger, bits and pieces of memory will flash that, I will admit, is scary at first, but I promise - eventually, it will come back."

"You sound like Mike; that's what he said."

"Sounds like a smart guy; let's start with something simple. What do you remember about last night?"

Already tired, Thete stared at his wall of pictures. "I remember you lot coming ... I remember the guy with the nose -"

"Rory." Jack filled in and tried not to laugh.

"Right, he helped me stand up when no one would listen." Thete hitched a breath. "I remember Abby trying to explain why I was so beat up, but then it got really hard to breathe, and then it gets all fuzzy again. Except for Rory. It was nice of him to listen. Actually, he's the last thing I remember from last night."

Jack felt Thete's rising anger and frustration. He remembered when he woke up with his own two years missing with nothing, but a headache. "Do you remember Amy or River?" he asked, hoping to distract him.

"Amy is the ginger; she said that I was her best friend. I don't remember ... Nan said, you would know." Thete turned back to look at the man next to him. "So - what the bloody hell happened to me, and how did I get here?"

o0o

K'Nar jerked awake just has she had most nights since coming home. She lay staring up at the images had carved in her ceiling. The family artisans had carved them before she had moved from the nursery. For most of her short life, the images from her favourite stories brought comfort to her when nightmares invaded the night. But not anymore. The images belonged to a child that no loner existed. Not after everything that had happened.

After what felt like an eternity, she sat up, drew her knees to her chest and shifted her gaze to the double doors leading to her balcony. Out there, the air would be cool, bordering on cold, but she would be able to see the stars. His stars. The healers and her parents had told her to stay in bed when she woke up during the night, but she couldn't. Lying in bed, cut her off from him. Out on the balcony, she could at least talk to him. She stood a chance that the breeze might carry her words to him. She finally tossed the coverlet back and headed for her lounger on the balcony. Sitting there, she could stare at the black, midnight sky. The largest of Vshak's three moons was bright tonight. Its light reflected back on the pond just outside the perimeter of the terrace. She'd heard him again, calling to her. Every night it was the same. He called to her in dreams. K'Nar are you safe, can you hear me? Run, K'Nar run.

She wanted to call back, I'm safe, my Lord. I have nowhere to run.


	30. Chapter 30 Memories

Jack honestly didn't think if he could handle anything else breaking his heart. The rush of his own emotions made thinking straight harder. Life would be so much easier if he ran as fast as possible from this mess. Somewhere high on a mountain where he could scream his own frustration and anger to the universe. But then he looked in Thete's pensive, green eyes. He remembered the big eared lug that he met in the hospital basement so long ago. Rose called him Spock then. He had to use the Chula ship computer to figure out the name came from a TV show. The moment he saw the two together dancing in the TARDIS Jack fell in love - with both of them. Things hadn't changed - much.

Maybe, things would be different if he'd just bought that man their first drink all those years ago. Maybe, if they had that moment that he'd lusted after then , they wouldn't all be sitting here now. But he didn't, and they were. The impossibly young looking man who stared back at him with bloodshot eyes felt like that man's little brother, and he expected answers about his life. Despite a far different connection to his old friend, Jack intended to do just that. He took a deep breath, and shoved his emotions back behind thick walls where they belonged..

How much truth do you tell someone who has no idea who and what they are? How much do you lie to your best friend? He looked at Thete and smiled. The safe version of the truth just might help him remember. If it did, the little lies would be worth it. Jack did what he always did. He did what he thought was right.

"At least you remember Amy and Rory from last night. That's good. It's a start. What do you want to know -your job, your family, what?"

"I want to know why someone did this. I want to know if I'm British, how I wound up in an alley, in America. I want to know -"

"Everything," Jack filled in.

"Yes." Thete demanded.

"Right then." He leaned forward. "It's a long story. First - yes, you're British. Your father was a proper lord, and you come from a long line of people bound by rigid rules and regulations. You were just never very good at that life. Still, technically speaking, you are a proper lord. The story of how you wound up in the alley is a bit convoluted, but it started a few months ago with Amy's kidnapping."

As he launched into the safe story of the Doctor's last few months, Jack watched Thete's expression turn from confusion to stunned disbelief and finally plain anger. Despite the changing expressions, wheels were turning in Thete's head. Jack could see the struggle in his eyes. Part of Thete's brain heard the Doctor calling out from some hidden corner, but the larger part was still running. The resulting mix of emotions hit Jack in waves. Maybe, Jack thought, I should have kept my mouth shut,

"I don't remember any of that." Thete began to hyperventilate when Jack's explanation ended. " This is my fault. It really is - - all my fault. How could I let someone steal a baby ? I should have gotten it back. Why didn't I get it back ?" Tears of anger and frustration traced their way down his cheeks. "Why would they want to sell me? What did I do wrong?"

"Calm down, now - before you make things alarm and we both get in trouble, well mostly me - still, calm down or the story ends now." Jack ordered and waited as Thete calmed himself before he continued.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Jack answered gently. "Your family has a long history of interfering in the plans of people who would like to take over the world. You are the last one. Doc, what happened wasn't your fault. You didn't let anybody take that baby. They took it so you wouldn't interfere in their plans.

"What plans? What did they want ?" A trace of fear edged into Thete's voice.

"I don't know , but I will find out."

Thete looked away and swallowed. "What about the..."

"You didn't get the baby back because you got in over your head. You decided to handle things alone and sent Amy, Rory and River home and then took off. Then someone else got into the mix." Jack let out a breathy, frustrated chuckle. "You have an annoying habit of thinking that you can fix things all by yourself, and sometimes you can't. Sometimes... you need help.

"These new people; are they, the ones who did this to me?

"Yes, they are. You stood up to them, and they damn near killed you for it." Jack answered softly as he leaned forward and laid his hand on Thete's arm, only to have him pull away.

'What could I have that they would want ?"

"Doc, what do you remember about the TARDIS ?"

"It's a name, a piece of equipment that she wanted. I don't know why. "

Jack tried to stay calm. He said she . He remembered a she .

As he watched Thete begin to pick at the sheets, Jack wondered if he should ask who she was. Signs of exhaustion were beginning to show on Thete's face and in his voice. He was starting to shut down. But maybe, Jack thought, if I push just a little more, he'll remember.

"That's right, . Doc, please - try to remember the TARDIS, please.

"I don't. I can't. Why does everybody keep asking?" He turned away from Jack to stare at the wall. It was obvious that he had reached his limit.

"Because, it's a piece of equipment that you - invented." Jack answered.

"Get Abby to take this stupid thing off me." Thete picked at the vest. " Why do you call me Doctor ? I'm not. Really, I'm not. I keep telling you people - my name is Thete. I can spell it for you if you like. "

"Yeah, well, you insisted after you graduated, and now it's your nickname. To us, you always will be the Doctor."

Thete squeezed his eyes shut as he rubbed his temple. " I don't suppose you have any Jammy dodgers? I love Jammy dodgers, I want one. "

"I don't have any Jammy dodgers. " Jack sat back, frustrated and disappointed. Thete's pained expression told Jack that he was pushing too hard, but his mouth wouldn't stop. " It's a powerful piece of equipment that involves massive amounts of energy. It is your baby. Does any of that ring a bell ?"

"Yeah, of course, right. Get Abby to take this off. Where's this Borel place anyway ?" He laid back against the pillow, obviously wishing Jack would go away.

" It's in Eastern Europe," Jack answered as he considered entering the Doc's head to see what he knew, but it would just spook him, destroying what little trust he had. One look in the Doctor's eyes told him the Doc wasn't at home, and Thete was finished with the whole conversation.

" What's today ?" Thete muttered, trying to change the subject.

"It's 31st October, 2011. "

"Halloween - it's Halloween, perfect." Thete snorted derisively. " That makes perfect sense. I saw that file you gave Doctor Wilson. It said my family died in a fire. "

"Yeah, they did die in a fire. "

Thete stared at the wall. "So I don't have a real family ?"

"Technically, no, you don't. At least not genetically. But you have us, and the friends you've met here. You really love them, you even said so. "

Thete smiled but didn't face Jack. " That explains the dream. "

"What dream ?" Jack asked gently. Maybe K'Nar hadn't been so thorough after all.

"This woman... she sings on the edge of a field, but when I try to get to her, everything turns to ashes and a house burns. " Thete's voice was hollow.

Jack felt Thete's loneliness roll off him in waves. " You're not ," he said gently.

Thete turned back and cocked one eyebrow. "Not what ?"

"You're not alone. We're not going anywhere. "

Thete snorted. "I wish you would, " he muttered softly.

When the door opened, they were both grateful for the interruption. Doctor Wilson walked in with Abby one step behind him. " Well, at least you ate something." Wilson smiled as he pulled his stethoscope out to listen to Thete's chest. " You sound a helluva a lot better. Dr. Jones' antibiotics have definitely made you better this afternoon. "

"You helped torture me, I remember that," Thete fussed at the doctor as he pointed to the IV in his neck. " Was this really necessary ?"

"Yep, it was." Wilson half chuckled. " And it didn't help matters for you to pull it out. The central line is in a vein big enough to give you three units of blood. That blood is why you're more awake. Considering your complicated cardiovascular system, Doctor Jones navigated it quite well. You're still running a fever, and your lab values are still abnormal. At least we fed you broth." Wilson grinned at him. "Keep it down, and I might let you have soft food for supper, plus the dietician will send up protein shakes. See if we can't start getting some nutrition in you. Want to try to walk again today ?"

Thete's eyes lit up with hope. "Outside? Can I go home? Hank said I could go to their house."

"Not hardly. I'm afraid that home is still a way off. You have pneumonia, Thete. Your temp is down, and you are improving, but you're still very sick. We'll start with the chair to the nurses ' station and back. I need you to cough and cooperate with the respiratory therapists, OK?"

"Berta," Thete groaned dramatically.

"Yes, Berta and everyone else I send in here. Got it? I can get Hank in here if I have to."

"Yes, I've got it," he answered peevishly. "Don't call Hank. He's tired. Did Sarah go home?"

"No, she's visiting Mr Schlesser. You - visit with the Captain, and then go for your walk."

The door shut on any further discussion about the TARDIS, Jack shifted to humour as a tactic and teased him instead. " Just think how cute your arse will look when your hospital gown swings open as you walk. "

"I have a dressing gown; Sarah brought it." Thete blushed, his deep red cheeks noticeable even through his bruises.

"That brings me to my next question. How's your memory doing ?" Wilson asked.

"I wish people would stop asking. As soon as I have an epiphany, I'll let everyone know," Thete snapped, and then grew quiet as fear flickered in his eyes. " Sorry, didn't mean to be rude. I'm tired and I guess, I really don't feel good. Don't tell Hank. He doesn't like it if I'm rude. " Both Jack and Wilson knew he still subconsciously expected to be hit.

" Don't worry, " Wilson laughed. " Considering that last night I thought that we might lose you, I think I can take it. You really need to stop scaring us. Some of us are going bald from worry," he teased.

" I don't remember. What happened ?"

"Your immune system was severely compromised. That, combined with the bacteria that caused your pneumonia mutating, led to sepsis. The good news is that your X-ray does look a little better this morning, which means your new meds are starting to get the infection under control. Anything hurt ?"

"My head. "

"Any worse than it has been ?" Wilson looked worried they'd missed something else.

" Maybe, some. Enough that I wouldn't turn down my morphine. "

"I think we'll try something different. Abby will bring it back. Tomorrow, I have a friend coming to see you. She's a psychiatrist that deals with PTSD sufferers. She's going to help you to start trying to put a few pieces together. "

"No. "

"Doc, one little conversation, won't hurt. " He jerked his arm when Jack tried to touch him.

"No ! I am not mental. I'm not - - havin' someone go muckin' about my head! And stop calling me that !"

"Alright." Wilson put a hand on his shoulder, only to have Thete yank away. " We'll talk about it later. No one thinks you are mental, but you have some stuff to deal with. Sooner or later memories will come back, and we just want you to be able to handle it. "

"I'll be alright. I'm always alright. " Thete wiggled his fingers. "I'm fine." His voice suddenly went to a cold whisper. "Jammy dodgers and tea sound brilliant, don't they ?" He ignored the whole conversation.

Wilson finished writing orders handing the chart to Abby. " Try to behave, alright?"

Jack patted Thete's shoulder. "I'll get you some more tea. " he said as he followed Dr. Wilson out.

"Doctor," Jack called when he was outside the room. " We have a specialist at home. She is an expert in PTSD issues. Help Martha get him strong enough to go home, and he'll see the specialist, or I'll section him, myself. "

Wilson cocked his eyebrows. " Sorry?

"It's like commitment."

"Ah, okay. I hope you mean that. How are you and Hank doing ?"

"We talked last night. I told him that I wouldn't start a turf war - at least for now. "

"Good. Thought I was going to have to break up a fight last night. I guess by now, you've heard about Thete's little escapade. "

"Yeah. I found him tied down when I got here. I ticked off the night nurse when I untied his hand. Did he hurt himself?"

"No. Dr. Jones used your scanner to re-cath him. He could have done some serious damage, but we lucked out." Wilson snorted. " I heard about you and Cass. Is that going to be a recurring theme with you ? The rest don't seem to have that proclivity. " Wilson smiled at Jack's look of embarrassment. "The good news is that he is oxygenating better. Last night we worried that he'd develop full-blown respiratory failure, but we've stepped back from that cliff. He has a long way to go before I can even consider him stepping on the road to recovery. His headaches are a concern, they could be emotional, but I'd like another scan, just to make sure I haven't missed something. Your Doctor Jones should be in soon, and I've left orders to sedate him if he gets too upset. "

"If you keep knocking him out, it will just slow down his healing, " Jack crossed his arms, unable to hide his worry.

"Sedating him is not my first choice, Captain, but I can't have him flipping out either. With all the bruising he has, he could still throw another clot, dislocate his shoulder or hurt someone with that cast. Just out of curiosity, how did his family handle stress ?" Wilson asked.

Jack gave a mirthless chuckle., "Let's just say, the phrase, 'I'm fine. I'm always fine' was a family mantra. That family was steeped in a tradition of guilt and denial., that's how they handle stress. If they couldn't solve a problem or stop some stupid evil in the world, it was their fault. It killed Tennyson and except for being a little angrier, Thete is no different. If it goes wrong, it must be his fault. "

Wilson sighed and scrubbed his face with his hand. "I figured as much. "

"I guess ... I hoped that when he woke up this would all be over," Jack said, trying not to sound so disappointed. " I tried to talk to him, to help him remember, but he shut down on me. I miss Ten every day, Doctor Wilson, and I will not lose Thete. "

"Captain, I know that you love him and that you want him back. But right now, he's not the kid you helped raise. He is lost and scared. He has completely buried the torture and the rapes. His body remembers, but his brain doesn't. Between his PTSD and the concussion, he will be withdrawn, angry and have episodes of agitation. The more awake he is, the more chances he'll have to hear or see something that will trigger his flashbacks. We need to keep him awake and calm."

"It's just- -"

"Frustrating and scary?" Wilson interjected sounding sympathetic. "I know that you want him to remember you, but don't push him. Stop calling him Doc or Doctor. That person scares him. Leave it to a psychiatrist to help put this mess together again. We have our job cut out for us just to get him well. I hope we can get through a couple of days without another flashback, to give him a chance to recover. I need to finish rounds. I'll be back later. " Wilson patted Jack's shoulder, "Hang in there, Captain, and don't start any fights with Hank, okay?"

" Thanks, Doctor. " Jack felt totally dejected. He glanced back to the room, and then went to get tea. When he returned he found Thete staring, his head cocked with his eyes closed trying to puzzle something out. He was lost in his own world.

" Doc, what are you doing ?" Jack set the cup down.

"Listen, can you hear her ?" Thete whispered.

. Jack looked back out the door and saw a woman outside, laughing at her own joke. "And then I told him, it was mine". The woman laughed as she chatted with someone.

Jack looked back at Thete who seemed oblivious to his surroundings. His frozen expression was feral; his eyes were empty of recognition. He muttered in Gallifreyan and English Jack didn't understand all of the confused words, but his tone was unmistakable. He had never heard him sound so malevolent.

" Listen, she's out there. " His hand gripped and twisted the sheets. " I'll rip her heart out, Jack. Jack, you help me rip it out. You hold her. I'll reach into her mind, and pull it out. I will dip my hands in her blood. Make her pay, Jack. Help me make her pay. "

o0o

Martha stepped out of the shower, feeling like an entirely new person. She had managed almost six hours of sleep. Hank's guest room was comfortable and quiet. Once she'd stretched out, she had fallen asleep within seconds. Martha was pretty sure the others had done the same. She'd heard River's voice before she'd stepped into the shower, but not a peep had come out of Amy and Rory's room. She picked up her phone and was stunned to discover it was almost one-thirty.

She jumped when the phone buzzed in her hand. It was Jack, probably wanting to know where she was.

"Martha, are you on your way ?"

"Jack ? The hospital didn't call, so what's wrong ?" She could hear the stress in his voice.

" You mean besides you not calling me earlier and leaving the scanner in plain view, " Jack fussed. " Nothing physically. His fever is down. Abby said its low grade now, the equivalent of 101. Wilson was in and said his lungs sound a little better. The x-ray and ultrasound showed some improvement. He wants him to walk today, and we talked a bit. I think maybe he remembers Gallifrey burning, at least in his dreams. He dreamt about a woman and a house burning. Then - - he kind of went on a rant in Gallifreyan and English. I'm real sure from his tone, he wasn't inviting anyone to tea. The English part involved ripping out hearts and brains. When I shook him out of it, he was totally unaware he'd done it. Almost like he'd had some sort of seizure. "

"What ? What happened ?"

"I - - might have - - pushed him too hard. I was hoping I could get him to remember, so I told him about Amy and her baby and Borel. The human - - on Earth - - 21st century version of the story. "

"You did what? Jack, I told you that half his brain has shut down. Why did you do that ?" Martha hissed. Now it was her turn to be angry.

" He wanted answers, and not having them was giving him a headache, " Jack answered defensively.

" Jack, he has a headache because of what K'Nar did, and because somebody repeatedly smacked the crap out of him ! What did you think, being brutalised wasn't going to hurt ?! I really wished you'd ask me before you played counselor!" Martha was furious., " What exactly happened ?"

Jack swallowed and repeated what he had seen.

" He's dissociating. " Martha sat down on the bed. "He is too sick to go down this road." She really could kill Jack.

" What do we do ? Can we retcon him until we get him home ?"

"No, Jack. We just need to get him through the next couple of days, get him stronger and get him out of here. Hank might help. He calms him down. If we sedate him, it will interfere with his ability to heal. If we retcon him, it will limit his ability to regain his memory, and he can't deal with the PTSD until he remembers. I'll call the hospital and see if they can get an art therapist, he might respond better to that. "

"Wilson wanted to send a psychiatrist, but he refused. He re-ordered Ativan if he loses it."

" I don't want to sedate him if we can avoid it. I'll call and see if we can get a therapist to see him today. Let me grab a bite, and I'll get Ianto to bring River and me in. Everybody else is still asleep. Don't do anything to push him any further. I mean it Jack, just sit with him and talk about the bloody stars !"

As much as Martha loved her friend, and his dedication to his own moral code, there were times that he could be a complete prat.

o0o

Hank dropped the curry brush in the cleaning bucket after grooming the young pinto in the stall. Caring for the three horses in the barn did more to calm his nerves than anything short of his kids and Sarah. He patted the young horse's neck, stepped out of the stall and secured the door. It was crisp and clear as he headed back to the house with his dog at his heels. He hoped his company still slept. He needed time to finish processing Thete and Jack Harkness, That man was enough to make a saint take a drink, and Hank was no saint. He was barely through the kitchen door when the phone rang,. Please, Sarah, no bad news, he thought as answered the call to hear his wife's voice.

"Hank, how is everyone?" Sarah spoke calmly on the phone. The last thing she need was him trying to drive back to the hospital upset. At least Thete was able to swallow most of the broth Hank had sent in.

"They're fine. As far as I know they're still asleep. How is he, this morning, well this afternoon, now I guess, huh?"

"Better, his fever is down, and he drank the broth you made. So far, he's kept it down. He's still a bit disoriented and a little emotional after such a night. I just wanted you to know; their friend Ianto is coming for Doctor Song and Doctor Jones."

Hank looked around to see River and Martha enter the kitchen and nodded, "They're up, but if he's upset, I'll come in now. I'll bring them with me."

"No, Hank, you need to wait for Amy and Rory, and he needs to start dealing with the Captain. The man practically raised him."

"Sarah, he nearly died last night. He's in no condition to deal with him."

"Hank, he's in no condition to deal with you and the Captain arguing again. Please, let them work through this. You can't stop them. We have to work together. Feed the horses and then bring Amy and Rory."

"Chores are done," he answered as looked out the window distracted by sound of a car pulling in the drive. "He's here. They must have GPS." Hank sounded resentful.

"I love you," Sarah murmured into the phone. "You're a good man. See you soon and be nice to Ianto. He's convinced bad things happen in the country."

He watched the well dressed young stranger walk up to the house as he hung up the phone and turned to face his visitors. "Do you know what happened, Doctor Jones? Did Thete have another flash back?"

"No, he remembered the people who kidnapped him. Well, not them so much as what the person said. Evidently a woman was responsible. I need to make sure he doesn't go further down that road, not right now."

"I swear that boy can't catch a break. The first time he heard a woman's voice come through the call box, he tried to slug the lab tech. I will - bring the two sleepy heads in when they wake up," he said, resigned to stepping back - for now.

"Thanks Mr Munson."

"We'll see you soon." Martha flashed a smile at the man and followed River out the door.

No one spoke much on the drive back. Ianto parked the SUV back in it's usual spot and the two women headed for the ICU with barely a thanks. They both swallowed hard as they entered the unit to the sound of his hoarse voice yelling at someone. The two showed their arm bands to the monitor tech and explained who they were as they cast anxious looks at each other at the sound of Thete's angry voice.

" Has he been that way long ?" Martha asked as she heard him yelling, "I told you NO ! I don't want to do this, it's stupid ! Children do this. I'm not a bloody child !"

It didn't seem possible someone so sick could make so much noise.

"About an hour, Doctor. " The tech handed her Thete's chart. " They've tried about everything to calm him down. The good news is the more he yells, the more he coughs. The bad news is that his heart rates are climbing, and his O2 sat is back down to 92 percent. Mrs Munson told us not to call Hank or Mrs Carson. She said: they're exhausted. The therapist asked her to step out while she tried to work with him, but that hasn't gone very well either. Abby is with her other patient. I'll get her if you want. "

"No, thanks. I'll talk to Captain Harkness, and then see him. See if you can find Sarah, and ask Abby to come when she's free."

"Yes, Doctor. "

Martha and River walked into Thete's room in time to see art supplies go flying to the floor. " Well, I'm guessing you aren't in the mood for a little art," Martha teased gently. " Did you go for a walk yet ?" Thete was pale and obviously exhausted.

The therapist smiled as she picked up the supplies, " we'll try again later, Mr Smith. " She smiled at Martha who mouthed an apology, " Don't worry, he's not the first adult to throw a tantrum, and he won't be the last. We'll get there. "

"NO - we - won't !" Thete shoved the table away, making it clang against the bed, " and yes, I went for a bloody walk! "

Martha turned around to look at him. His fist clenched in barely contained rage. For a minute, she contemplated calling Abby to medicate him. " Where's Jack, he was supposed to stay with you?"

"I threw him out !" Thete snapped. "They made Sarah leave 'cos of her." Thete pointed angrily at the therapist, who smiled as she left.

" They were doing their job. Why did you make Jack leave?" Martha was surprised Jack actually would leave. She doubted he went far.

" I went for a walk, it hurt, I got tired and then I got mad! I don't like him anyway. He asks too many damn questions. You ask too many damn questions. I don't like you either!"

Martha winced at his profanity, This was the first time that she had ever heard him say anything remotely off colour. "Why did you get mad, and who were you mad at ?" Martha kept her voice calm and professional as she pulled a chair up next to him. He wrenched away when she tried to touch him. She wasn't sure he actually heard the question as he continued to ramble. " I heard you had a headache, is it better ?" Martha reached for the scanner and passed it over him.

Thete ignored her and continued his rambling. " Then he and Mike kept telling me to think. Just take a breath and think. I don't want to think. I don't want to express my emotions on a stupid piece of paper. They're my bloody emotions, and I can do what I want with them. "

"Thete, how's your headache ?" Martha asked again as she put the scanner down.

" What ? It still hurts. " He stared at her, his eyes dark with fury. " I heard her laughing, " he growled, "and she wouldn't stop. I'm going to kill the bitch. I will. I am going to do it. Jack just kept saying, OI, language. I don't even know him, and he's telling - me - to mind my language? It's my language, and I can say what I want. " He flashed an angry glance toward her. " Just saying," he said peevishly.

"Doctor, take a breath. Who do you want to kill ?" Martha touched his bouncing knee.

"My . Name. Is. Thete. What part of that do you people not get ?! It's a simple name. T-H-E-T-E. It's not Doctor. I'm not that person ! I want Sarah to come back! Go away and leave - me - the bloody hell - alone !"

"Martha, go out - please," River said gently, " And close the door. "

"River, I need to finish examining him. "

"Martha, let me talk to him - alone. Please." Her tone was firmer.

Martha nodded and stood up. She gave River a tight smile and left to stand outside the door.

Once they were alone, River pulled a chair up as close as she possible without touching him.

" Hey, my love, " she spoke softly in Gallifreyan, " look at me. " She waited until his eyes met hers. They held a dangerous, wild look that she had never seen in him. " What's your name ?"

"Thete. Who are you ?" he answered accusingly in the ancient language.

"I'm River Song, and I am your friend. I love you with all my heart and soul. Something terrible has happened to you, and it's made you terribly sick. You're having trouble remembering things, and you're not thinking straight. But you have to try. Focus on my voice and take some deep breaths. Close your eyes and just listen to our language sing to you. That's right. " River watched him do as she told him. She sang an old, hypnotic song he'd taught her. His breathing relaxed. After a couple of minutes of singing, River finally asked, " Tell me, who is Theta Sigma ?"

"I don't know - - me, it's me. I'm Theta Sigma." He sounded desperate.

" That's right, you are. Now very calmly, breathe in and out, that's it. Keep your eyes closed and tell me, Theta, what do you hear ?"

"The voice, I hear her voice, " he dropped his to a whisper. " She keeps laughing. I hear her - - in my head - - all the time. She kills people. "

"Breathe, Theta. Stay with me; keep talking to me. "

"I will destroy her in every way I can ! I will make her pay for what she did, and when I'm done with her, I will find the rest of them, and I will make them all pay. I will reach inside their minds and destroy them. They murdered K'Nar, and I will dip my hands in their blood. " His voice shook as he opened his eyes to look at her with rage-filled eyes. " I don't know you. You lied to me! You told me that she's alive, and she's not! I call her and call her, and she never answers. She would answer me if she were alive. She would. "

River took a deep breath and kept her voice hypnotic as she carefully spoke the ancient words he taught her. " You do know me. I am talking to you in a language that no one else knows, just us. You taught this language to me. Tell me who you hear. What did she do? "

"The Mistress." The words tumbled out low. His voice shook. " She wanted - - something from me. A tardis, and I wouldn't, couldn't. I can't remember what it is, but then - - she murdered a child. She tortured her for hours. I couldn't do anything ! I would have, but I couldn't stop it. "

Thete sobbed, his body shaking as this one horrible memory flooded back. "It screamed and begged for the pain to stop. Laughing, I hear her laughing. It kept screaming, and she laughed louder ... as if ... it was a funny movie. Then the screaming stopped, just a few ragged breaths, and it stopped. Except for that laugh! She murdered K'Nar because of me. Amy's baby is gone because of me. That child died because of me. What kind of monster am I that people hurt children because of me ? What did I do wrong ? I can't remember what I did wrong!" His breathing came in ragged gasps as tears ran down his face.

River wrapped her arms around him. "It's all right, my love. It's going to be all right." The horror in his voice burned her brain.

Thete pounded his leg. "She won't stop laughing. Make her shut up! Please, make her shut up! I followed the rules. Why won't she shut up?" he repeated in Gallifreyan.

Martha and Abby slipped in beside him, with Jack behind them. " River, his heart rates, are almost 300 and his O2 level is dropping, we don't have a choice, " Martha whispered. As the nurse sedated him, she plotted. When she looked at Jack, she saw her feelings plastered all over his face. Abby slipped the needle in his IV line and injected the Ativan. Within seconds the rage gave way to sleepiness.

Abby kissed the top of his head. " It's okay Thete, go to sleep now. Sarah is coming; she's on the elevator. Just rest now."

His head rolled back against the chair, but he continued to ramble.

" I'll get help to get him in bed." Abby wiped away her own tears.

" Never mind, I've got him." Jack wiped his own wet face before he stepped to the chair and lifted him like a child. With Abby handling his lines, Jack laid him on the bed. He leaned over and kissed his forehead, " I'm so sorry," he murmured softly as he traced a finger down Thete's bruised jaw, then looked back at Martha and River. "I thought if I could help him remember something, he'd feel better. This is my fault. "

Thete still mumbled as the drug rapidly took him further into a dreamless sleep.

" Jack, this would have happened regardless." Martha looked at River. " River, what did he say ? What did he remember ?"

River wiped her tears away as Sarah came back - just in time to hear her. " Evidently NaV0 thought murdering a child was funny. They tortured one to death in order to force him to give up the TARDIS. He's mixed it up with Amy's baby and K'Nar, and he's promised to murder the people responsible. "

"Oh My God," Sarah uttered as she went to Thete's side.

Jack swore, his voice cold. " I'm done. Martha, take care of him. I'm going to be gone a few days. I'm taking River with me. Mrs Munson, thank you for acting like his Mum. Right now, I'd say he needs one." Jack's ice blue eyes were filled with rage.

"Captain, don't do anything foolish," Sarah said gently as she held Thete's limp hand.

" Jack, where you going ?" Martha stared at her friend.

"I'm going back to Borel. I'm going to find out what else that bitch did and then... Then I'm going after K'Nar. I'm not leaving him like this." Jack grabbed his jacket and headed for the unit doors, with Martha and River close behind.

Martha grabbed them both, " What are you two doing ?" She hissed as she pulled them into the nurse's lounge and closed the door. " You can't just leave ! As bad as it is, he's just made a connection ! He needs you !"

"Martha," Jack raised his hand to stop her, " if he can't process what happened to him through a functional Time Lord brain, he will die, or worse, he'll join the Master as a psychotic Time Lord. K'Nar didn't mean to hurt him, but she did. And I intend to fix it. Three days, Martha. You have three days to get him well enough to travel. If I can't get her in this hospital, then I'm taking him to Vshak. They will fix this ! Now you have your orders, follow them, and this time - don't you leave him !"

Martha's mouth opened and then closed. " Jack... I. River, talk to him !"

It took less than two seconds for her to make the decision to join him in this trip. She doubted that she could have refused anyway. As angry as Jack was, he would have found a way to fly the TARDIS, even if it required putting a gun to her head to force her to fly the ship.

"Martha, I'm sorry, I'm going with Jack. For once I agree with him, it's time for a little justice. Call Amy and Rory and get them in here. "

River followed Jack out the door leaving Martha staring in disbelief at their backs. She wasn't sure whether these two were going after justice, or about to commit murder. And she had no idea how she was going to explain why they were gone. What she did know was that the Universe was about to face the wrath of a Time Lord's angry lover and one furious Immortal.

* * *

><p><strong><em>The end of Part 2 Descent Into the Darkness<em>**


	31. Chapter 31 The Return to Borel

**_A/N: Part 3 The Journey to Justice_**

**_Nalod - drunk_**

o0o

River had to quick step to keep up with Jack's long strides as they walked out of the hospital towards the TARDIS. Neither had much to say as they made the short walk to the TARDIS, River's mind raced in her final calculations of success. She stopped before she unlocked the door and turned to face the angry, guiltridden man beside her. The distrust of their first few days was long gone. This was a man who could become a good friend and she hated that he was hurting.

"Where did you go?" Jack asked when the reached the ship.

"What?" she asked as the key turned in the lock.

"Where did you take the ship?" he growled.

"What makes you think that I've taken her anywhere." She turned back with a sly smile.

"The safety cones are squashed. The ship was perfectly parked when I walked out of it at five this morning. Some time after Ianto left, you moved the ship. Where did you go?"

" Do you have any constructive thoughts, or are we committing mayhem ?" She said ignoring the question. She flashed a cheeky smile and then turned on her heels to enter the ship.

"I'm working on it, answer my question," he demanded.

"I needed a few things. " She smiled. The journey that she'd made during the early morning hours had taken three days, and lasted just fifteen minutes of local time. Vortex manipulators were brilliant devices to own when you wanted to sneak around unnoticed .

Cold air blasted the two as they burst through the door and ran the few steps up into the control room to the TARDIS ' console. River sent the ship an apology for their rude intrusion. She watched Jack angrily pace the glass floor while she headed for the console's typewriter to type in coördinates to send the ship into flight.

For just a moment, she thought the Doctor's accusatory voice echoed through the control room. "River - what are you doing?"

The question hung in the air giving her brief moment of doubt. She looked at Jack's face, and for just a second, questioned her decision. Her hand trembled as it hovered over the materialisation lever, but then the Doctor's voice was replaced with the image of his bruised, battered face with it's expression of rage mixed with fear. That was all it took to push the lever forward. She flashed Jack a smile as she twisted the dial to take the ship into the vortex. She was ready, and there was no doubt in her mind that he was too. The sound of Jack's mobile broke the silence that hung in the air.

" What !" he snapped as he answered.

"Jack, it's Rory ; I need to talk to you. " Rory didn't pretend to hide his concern.

" What ? We're in the TARDIS." Jack's voice was filled with fury.

" We're in the car now. Wait 'til we get there before you leave," Rory begged.

"We're not waiting," Jack answered flatly.

"Then I need you to promise to keep an eye on River. "

"Why ? She does a pretty good job of that herself. "

"River has been muttering threats of revenge since this whole thing started. I've had the same thoughts and so has Amy, but you know he wouldn't want that, not really. You took River out of Stormcage. She was there for reasons I can't say, but I don't want her to lose what little freedom that she has. This life they have, Jack, it's weird, but it's a life that works for them. Don't let revenge bodge it up. She's not thinking straight, and frankly neither are you. Get K'Nar and come back. Don't do anything stupid. Now, let me talk to River. "

"Here, Dad wants to yell." Jack tossed the phone to her.

" What ?" River did a double take as she took the phone. No way could Jack know. " Rory ?"

"Make him proud, River. " Amy's emotion filled voice made her brogue stronger than normal. "If you hurt anyone, he won't thank you for it. You know that better than any of us possibly could. He doesn't know what he's saying. He's sick, and he's scared. Don't make it worse, and don't let Jack make it worse. Come back safe. "

River said nothing to Amy as she closed the mobile and clutched to her chest before looking over at Jack ; his deep blue eyes were as cold as his laugh was mirthless. " That was the other half, " she smiled tightly. " I think they are worried we're going to shred the galaxy. "

"I intend to. Where did you go and what did you get?"

"I do have a plan, " River's expression was cold and calculating, " but I have to make a stop - and then I will explain. "

"We agree the rules are out ?" Jack's smile was mirthless.

" The only rule I care about , is the one where he never knows, " River met his gaze. This would work out, it had to.

" Agreed, and then we get the kid. " Jack stood back as River sent the ship into the vortex.

o0o

The four drunks sharing a bottle thought they had lost their minds when they felt a sudden gust of wind. Startled by the whine of invisible engines, they stumbled back to avoid mystery spot. The next day they would swear they were hallucinating when a blue box appearing out of nothing. The TARDIS materialized between rows of metallic buildings jammed together on a black, dusty asteroid in the Rala system. An artificial atmosphere provided the rock with the air to breathe. In the depth of space the only light came from lights hung from building to building and run off generators.

Jack grabbed River as they reached the door before stepping out into the dark alley. "Where are we ?"

River grinned, " Welcome to Ranesh, nice little place. You meet intriguing folk on this rock. There are lots of people who are always coming and going. They bring things, and they sell things. The mine owners carved this place as pleasure rock for the miners stuck in this hell hole of an asteroid belt. "

"I can't believe I missed this place. I have spent way too much time on Earth lately." Jack whistled at the array of buildings that looked as if someone copied 1960's Las Vegas.

River laughed as she led him down the seedy street. It was an empty laugh, with a smile that went nowhere near her eyes. They passed several garish places until she found The El Morrocco bar whose guests were spilling out into the street. Jack laughed when he read the misspelled neon sign. The two walked into the alien bar ignoring the heavy smell of booze hung in the air as they past the crush of bodies. It required a little muscle to weave through the crowd in front of the band playing 53rd century techno music They sidestepped around two Judoon arguing with a group of Sontarans. From their tone, it wouldn't be long before the place erupted into a brawl.

Jack stopped in front of the dancer's platform enjoying the sight of a scantily dressed Crespallion doing an agonizingly slow striptease. A chorus of alien languages urged her to hurry it along. Jack grinned in admiration of her maneuvers, and moved to step forward as he felt a smack to the back of his head. He whirled around to see River glaring at him. "Focus, Harkness!" She followed the smack with an elbow into his side at the look of lust on his face. No matter the time or place, men were men.

River led Jack through the crush of bodies to the back of the bar and found the door with the Silurian words for the 'Boss' Office'. She tapped three times and called out to the occupant sitting on the other side. A booming voice called back as a hulking male threw the door open to greet his visitor. He looked like a green cross between a Silurian and a Judoon, with a grin large enough to split the asteroid they were on. His meaty arms stretched out to give River a bear hug.

"Professor Song, it's about time, come - give Papa a hug. " The alien wiggled his fingers to encourage her in closer. " Who's the pink skin? Should I be jealous?"

"Never, Maroosh. Jealousy is such a petty and worthless emotion, don't you think?. It's always more fun to be open to a wide variety of experiences. Now, behave yourself, " River laughed. " Jack meet Maroosh, be nice to Maroosh. He loves variety in his friends, so be careful. Maroosh always could score just about anything I ever needed for a dig. "

"You're a professor ? I thought - - I got you out of ..."

"Spoilers, Jack, " River murmured, " Maroosh, do you have what I requested ?"

"I do, my curly haired friend." Maroosh led them into the office. "Sit, be comfortable. I'll get it." The huge alien went to a wall safe to pull out a small bottle of liqueur and handed it to River. " Vetla, the finest bottle I could find. Its purity is unquestioned and, " he grinned as he handed it to her, " it's the perfect size for personal celebrations, and it is utterly undetectable. "

"How long before it activates ?"

"Ten years to the second of ingestion." The alien grinned. " Like I said, it's totally undetectable. Now, may I have my payment, please. "

River reached into her jacket and pulled out a green rock, nearly three inches across. Jack's stunned expression made the presentation a moment to remember. She had a feeling few people surprised the man. It was amusing to know that she was one of the few.

" Earth emerald as requested." She flashed a conspiratorial look at Jack. " It takes a delicate hand to cut. May I suggest you use Nreina on the Migla asteroid base. I told him to expect you. It's a gift between old friends. "

"Ah Professor, you are a woman of your word. It will look lovely when it's cut and polished. So, can I offer you a celebratory drink ? I have an excellent bottle of Earth scotch. Something called Makers Mark. "

"We'd love a drink, but I think you might have to break up a brawl. We'll have to make it quick. "

The drinks were barely poured when the sounds of a massive fight invaded the small office. Rolling his eyes in disgust, Maroosh grabbed his sonic bat and headed to break it up.

Ducking out the back door, the two headed back to the TARDIS. Jack followed River inside, totally confused.

" What did we just do ?" He looked at her with disbelief. "Who the bloody hell are you, a time agent in disguise?"

River laughed as she plugged in coordinates. " We - didn't do anything, and no I am not a time agent, I'm an archaeologist. I'm sure you've heard of the concept of plausible deniability, This is when it kicks in. "

Before he had time to ask another question, River landed the TARDIS just across from H'Tarle's office. Running an environmental check, she shook her head. Lately, it seemed everywhere they went was cold. She grabbed a warm coat and followed Jack out into a bone chilling rain. Running to catch up, she reached him as he walked into the constable's office.

Two things were always the same, no matter where you travelled in the universe. The feeling of misery you got when walking inside a police station and the need for a mop nearby for the inevitable sick. This place was no different.

Except for looking busy, nothing had changed from the first time they had walked in this place. An officer escorted several prisoners down to the holding cells, and the young receptionist cleaned up sick while spewing unintelligible Regulun curses. Jack looked at River and shook his head. They sniggered when the TARDIS chose not to translate petite C'Kuk's bad language.

They hated this place. Just walking in twisted their stomachs in to knots. It was hard for either to believe that only a week ago, they stood in this office watching H'Tarle process NaV0. It wasn't close to long enough to wipe the stench out of their noses. They plastered fake smiles on their faces, and greeted the young receptionist just as she'd just finished mopping. They chuckled when C'Kuk jumped, startled by their presence.

"Hello C'Kuk, how is it going ?" Jack grinned at the startled young officer.

She put the mop away and gave them both a tired smile. " Captain Harkness, Doctor Song, we didn't expect you back until the trial. That's not for another month," she said with a look of concern on her face. "If you don't mind me saying, you look - tired."

"Thanks, you look good too." Jack scoffed "We're not here about the trial. We need to see the Inspector. It's important, " Jack rocked on his heels impatiently. What he really wanted was to bust the man's door down.

"Captain, what are you two doing here ?" H'Tarle stepped out of the office. He quickly drained his glass. of something that looked like Chartreuse liqueur. " Sorry, we just picked up a parent who beat their kid to death for not bringing home enough money. Didn't you find your Doctor ?" H'Tarle slurred his words slightly, noticeably a little drunk.

" Nothing changes does it, no matter the planet." River shook her head in disbelief.

"We found him, but we need your help, again," Jack answered, looking at the glass. " Got another? I need a drink. "

While C'Kuk went for more glasses, H'Tarle showed them to his office's one and only couch.

"What's wrong ?" H'Tarle set the bottle on his desk inviting them to sit down. He pushed the bottle forward with a nod. "Be careful, stuff's strong. "

Jack poured himself a drink and handed the bottle to River. He sat back and drew a breath before he spoke. " The Doctor's sick, thanks to Madam NaV0 and her - associates. We've almost lost him. He's made some progress, but mentally, he is a mess. He is a telepath, and thanks to NaV0 and K'Nar, his shields are gone. He can't regulate his emotions or keep others emotions from bombarding him. Asleep, his nightmares of this place are horrific. When he's awake, the slightest sound or sight sends him either into abject terror or murderous rage. We're here to find the answer to a couple of questions that have popped up and find a way to fix it," Jack answered.

"What questions ? I hope that I can tell you without breaking too many rules."

River drew a breath before she asked the question, " When you processed the compound, did you find any evidence of children being tortured or murdered ?" She couldn't quite stop her hand from trembling at the thought.

"Yeah, how did you know ?"

"What did you find?" Jack leaned forward with his absolute disgust plain on his face.

A cloud passed over the Regulun's face, his eyes narrowed at the obviously painful memory. He downed another drink before he finally answered, " We found nine bodies. All were tortured, raped and strangled. Four were human, two were Nordic, two were Regulun, and the last was a four-year old Banik girl. How did you know about the children ?"

River blanched when she heard the man's response. She stood up looking physically ill as she began to pace in front if the couch. Several seconds passed before she found her voice . "The Doctor heard a woman laughing outside his hospital room. " Her voice dropped, "he started describing all the ways he intended to kill NaV0. He told me ..." River swallowed hard. " He told me that a child was tortured. They forced him to listen to its screams of agony. He heard that child die with the Mistress laughing through the whole thing. . He's locked on the memory and is stuck reliving it. "

"The last child that died; her autopsy put her death during the time he was there. And she was tortured. You do know, if he heard it, he'd have to testify about what he heard and his imprisonment. " H'Tarle spoke softly. " You should know, K'Nar was meant to be next. We found a list. She'd been sold to the same pervs who bought the Doctor. They intended to force him to rape her. A couple more of their sessions, he would have done whatever they told him "

"My God, " River had begun to pace, "he would have felt so helpless. No wonder he's completely shut down. " River stopped and looked at Jack with horror in her voice, and her fists clinched. Tears rimmed her green eyes at her realisation. "K'Nar would have known what they intended ... when she scanned them that last day, she would have known." She finished her drink in one swallow and poured another. She glanced over at Jack. His jaw muscles were twitching in rage.

"He would never have done that. " Jack's voice was hollow when he finally answered.

" Actually with the drugs we found, Captain, he would have done anything to avoid the pain they caused. After the raid, the Shadow Proclamation and the Judoon broke up the factory. The girl saved his life in more ways than one. "

"Do her parents know ?" River asked quietly.

" No. We are leaving that for the trial. If they knew, they would never let her come back. They think she's coming back to give evidence about what they did to the Doctor, and his condition when she saw him last. " He swallowed the last of his drink. " I strongly suggest you never tell him, especially if he's as big a mess as you say he is. NaV0 ' s victims, the stories just keep coming. All of them are horrible," he muttered to no one in particular. " Captain, when this is done we should all get roaring drunk, huh." H'Tarle winked at River. "We need to have a little fun. I'm sorry, Curly Top, what did you want from me ? I'll help, however I can. "

River stood up, her voice edged with cold hatred. " First, I want to talk to NaV0 alone. I promise, I won't lay a hand on her. You can watch me on camera. I just need to ask a couple of questions, and then we need proof that she and her gang are in jail. We'd like to video that piece of filth, and the rest of the demented trash to prove they are actually in a cell. We are borrowing a technique from Earth. I will hold up a paper from the town he's in to prove the date and time. Hopefully, at least until the trial, it'll give him concrete proof she's never going to be free. "

"That's all you want ? The pictures are no big deal, but if you slug her, I'll have to stick you in a cell. I don't want to do that. I love your curly hair too much to see its owner behind a cell door. " He chuckled. "Seriously, I can let you talk to her, but I need to be in the room - agreed?"

"Agreed, and I swear, I won't do anything, but share a little drink and ask the psychopath a few questions," River answered with a dry laugh, " I only need a few minutes. "

" What else ?"

"K'Nar. We've told him that she is alive, but he doesn't believe it. We need to prove it to him, and we need her help to undo the damage she caused by trying to help in the first place," Jack answered.

H'Tarle poured another drink and leaned back in his seat. "That animal has no right to privacy, so videoing her and asking a few questions is no biggie, especially if we get answers that can help convict her. If it were up to me, I'd strip her naked, wrap her in chains and plaster her picture on the tallest wall at the ports as warning to anyone else coming to this corner of my planet to commit a crime. In fact, when the trial is over, I intend to do just that. "

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the desk. "Breaking through to a locked down planet ... That is an entirely different matter. Getting on Vshak has never been easy, but since K'Nar's kidnapping, it's impossible. The King has closed the air space and made sure the planet shields are impenetrable. Now, only patients escorted by a Vshak healer can access the planet and a Judoon fleet patrols the buffer zone."

Jack stared at the slightly bemused look on H'Tarle's face. That last drink tipped the man from slightly drunk right on over to drunk. If he were out wandering Borel, his own men would arrest him for drunk in public. "Maybe you should have a swig of that stuff you call coffee, and sober up a bit first." Jack advised the man with a smile.

H'Tarle snorted and then yelled for his daughter. He grinned drunkenly when she stuck her head through the door. "It seems," he said with a pronounced slur, "my friend, the good Captain, thinks I'm a little nalod. Must admit, I might be. I am having a little trouble thinking. Bring me a cup of neshema."

C'kuk flashed a look of gratitude at Jack. Two minutes later, she returned with the cup of hot thick liquid, patted her father's shoulder and set the cup down.

For a long moment, the three sat in silence as H'Tarle finished the cup. When he looked up at them, his eyes were clearer, more focused. Jack and River both hoped he was sober enough to help. They both wondered how much good will he'd stored up with the politicos. Jack hoped H'Tarle's bosses were ecstatic that he had shut down the worst criminal enterprise in the history of the planet. Of course, rescuing the Princess had to add at least a few credits in the payback department. At least, Jack hoped so. He glanced over at worried River and winked. If this didn't work there was always the Shadow Proclamation.

" That isn't going to be easy. Getting K'Nar back will take at least a couple of days, if they talk to us. If we have to go through the Shadow Proclamation, it might be longer," H'Tarle echoed Jack's thoughts. " Maybe, there is enough political goodwill to get through. "

"We're not above reminding them that their Princess caused half of the problem, and we are not above begging - if I have too," Jack responded. " Or, I could find a way to blow a hole in their shields. "

"Here's to good will and a little help from the stars. " He toasted. " Let's get your picture and then you can have your minutes. C'Kuk !"

o0o

Prisoner CCIV stared glumly out the window that was little more than a peep-hole. Twelve inches by twelve inches of impenetrable glass, so thick that it distorted the view outside. Not that there was much to look at, just a courtyard surrounded by a sensor web that would repel anyone trying to break in or escape. Flood lights lit the barren area as bright as day. This was a nightmare. One endless nightmare that she couldn't shake. Years of hard work destroyed by the one person that she thought she owned body and soul. In a matter of minutes that stupid ghost of a girl who'd bewitched her son had taken everything.

She'd spent the first three days in this jail trying to survive. She'd sent three women to the infirmary when they ridiculed her and killed a fourth when the idiot spit on her. Now, five days later, she found herself living in an eight by eight cell not much different from one in her own prisoner compound. She turned from the window with a deep sigh and evaluated where the game went pear-shaped.

Normally, she didn't make such serious miscalculations, but there was no doubt she did when it came to the Doctor's destruction. It was fun, but she had not anticipated the reaction of his associates. All her reports had him travelling alone. That was mistake number one. The prisoner walked over to the narrow bunk and plopped down.

Mistake number two was Dieruf.

Her son. How could he ever put some - girl above her. She'd always met his needs. Never, not once did he suffer her childhood. Instead of deprivation, he lived like a prince. She taught him early how to use his looks and talents to contribute to their wealth. By the time, he reached eighteen, he ran their own gambling and drug business and had made a dozen kills. She introduced him to whatever lifeform was needed to satisfy his needs.

And then he met that stupid girl.

The prisoner put her thumbs to her temples and massaged the nagging headache away. She couldn't remember the last time she had an ache or pain that a shot of Zurko didn't take care of. She needed a dose, not just to make the headache go away but the images too.

Dieruf standing in front of her, betraying her as they drug her away from the compound. The last words he said still rang in her ears. "I loved her Mother, she carried my child."

She should not have allowed her anger to over-ride her common she should have held off killing her until after the conference. She would have travelled far enough from this stupid planet that Dieruf would not have known. She regretted not controlling Jaroth's over-zealousness a bit better.

Jaroth.

It didn't seem possible that she would miss any man, but she did miss him in her bed. He carried out his duties there with as much zeal as he did her other orders. The memory of his passion brought a smile. He was the only man, in a long run of men, who knew exactly how to pleasure her. She wondered what he would have thought of the tortured, brutalised girl who stood over the sixth man who'd raped her. The prisoner remembered staring into his dead eyes holding a knife in one hand and his manhood in the other. From that day forward, she'd sworn no man would hurt her again. How old was she then? Thirteen - fourteen maybe? So many years ago. She'd be damned if this bunch got any pleasure from her change in circumstance. A malicious grin spread across her face as she contemplated slitting first H'Tarle's throat and then the man who hired her to destroy the Doctor. She'd see both dead eventually, and then she'd find the Doctor and finish their game.

For some reason, the thought to kill her son did not enter her mind.

Her eyes drifted closed, picturing the scene in her mind only to snap open at the sound of the electronic lock disengaging. "Whatever you want, you can go -" she started but stopped when a deep voice barked.

"The prisoner will stand when a guard walks in - unless you need assistance. Does the prisoner need assistance?" Needril growled threateningly.

She stared at Needril's stupid, grinning avian face. "The prisoner does not," she spat as she answered.

"Good, you have visitors. Get up."

"Well, give me time to make my self presentable," she replied as she slowly stood up.

"No, need. These visitors aren't interested in your looks," Needril replied as he crossed over to shackle her.

No matter which side of the table she sat on, interrogation rooms like this made River nervous. It was ten minutes before a guard escorted NaV0 into the room and then left.

"How the mighty have fallen ?" Jack quipped as she shuffled in. Gone was the beautiful woman with perfect hair, evening gown and jewellery. Amy left her with quite the shiner, shown off even better by her hair pulled back in a pony-tail. A dirty orange jumpsuit replaced her ball gown. Deadlocked chains around her wrists and ankles replaced her jewellery. She looked like the thug she was.

"Love the jewellery, " River said with a smirk. " Sit down - - please."

"Well," NaV0 spoke coldly as she locked eyes with her visitors. " Have you returned my pets ?" she asked as she shuffled past Jack and H'Tarle.

"Sit down, Nashta Vorron" River repeated as she scooted a chair out for the woman. She nodded at Jack who smiled and left. This was between her and NaV0.

A look of disbelief flashed across NaV0's face thoroughly surprised that this woman would know her birth-name. She kept a nervous eye on the curly haired woman as she took a seat across from her.

"That's right, I know your name," River said with a cold smile as she set the small bottle of liqueur Seems you have spent years trying to disguise your identity. You'll be happy to know that it took me less than two hours to track your name and your planet of origin. Duridia is still a hell hole of a planet. Do you ever go back to visit?"

"What do you want ?" NaV0 snarled.

"I understand the fake name, but why a zero at the end?" She asked coolly as she slid the bottle across the table until it was directly in front NaV0.

"Well, I would think someone with your keen wit would figure it out," NaV0 sneered. "Ground zero ring a bell."

River kept a tight grip on her emotions and expression. The woman before her was a psychopath. If she riled her too much not even the drug, would get her the answers she needed, so she smiled. "Sorry, I didn't find anything like that in your history."

"I am ground zero. It begins with me. The Continuum's success begins with me. Do you know what else begins with me?" NaV0 leaned over and whispered threateningly, "Your destruction and the destruction of the damn bitch who slugged me."

River shook her head at H'Tarle when he started forward. "Well, and I came here to play nice," River purred in reply.

"Then you are a fool. Now - what do you want?"

" Peace-offering. You've got quite a shiner," River leaned against the back of her chair. " I thought I'd make up for the punch my friend delivered. "

"Return my pets, and we will call it even." NaV0 leaned back as she answered coldly.

River smiled as she carefully uncapped the bottle directly in front of her enemy. "I'm afraid - this will have to do."

The liqueur had a rich chocolate aroma designed to generate an immediate, intense almost burning desire in the person closet to the bottle. The look of discomfort on her enemy's face brought River immense pleasure. She struggled to keep the look off her face. Watching the woman struggle to control the growing need for the bottle's contents only added to the feeling of pure revenge.

"Delightful aroma isn't it," River crooned, "Sweet, delicious and tastes so very good going down." River waved the bottle under the woman's nose watching the woman's expression change from mild interest to want. NaV0 licked her lip ever so slightly. River carefully replaced the cap as she set the little bottle down. "I thought a little reward might be suitable for the right answers to a couple of questions. If you tell me the truth, the drink is yours, and I will ask for clemency from the Justices. I will ask them to take the death penalty off the table. "

"What questions ?" NaV0 ' s voice was immediately husky with desire. A bead of sweat appeared on her upper lip. Her headache worsened, making her wince slightly in discomfort.

River smiled inwardly at her success as she watched the woman's desire turn to a craving. " Who hired you to kidnap and torture the Doctor ?" River nearly purred the question as she set an empty glass in front of the woman.

" Colonel Manton and the Church. " NaV0 licked her lip and reached for the bottle only to have River scoot it away. A look of pain flashed across her face when River moved the bottle. River's eyes followed the woman's hands as she held her stomach. River knew she felt the drug's first effect: pain in her gut.

River poured just a dram in the glass and nodded to the woman to take it. " Told you," she said as the woman tasted it. "Good isn't it. Why would they hire you ?" River hid her surprise at the answer. That was not what she expected.

"Because of you, " NaV0 sneered. " Your - timeline needed to be obliterated. Well your time with the Doctor anyway. It was seen by the renegade Vshakian seer named Varak." Tentatively, she reached for the bottle only to have River place the lid back on.

"Not yet, my friend. Why does my - time with Doctor matter to Manton?" River curled her toes tightly in her shoes.

NaV0's brain felt strange. She found her tongue moving, unable to stop the words coming out of her mouth. The woman in front her would die for making her feel like this. "There will come a day I will get out of here, and I will slit your throat," she said huskily.

River just smiled and uncapped the bottle letting the aroma hit NaV0's nostrils. "I don't think so, Madam. Answer the question - you will get a second taste and you know you want one," River replied gently.

"You are destined to have two children Time Lord children. They are afraid if the rebirth of Time Lords Varak, you want Varak.. He's hiding out on Thoros Beta. He gave us the girl. Unfortunately, the girl turned out to be mind blind. Still, she was fun. I was to break and destroy the Doctor anyway I chose, short of killing him. I chose the fun way. " NaV0 grinned maniacally. Her intense desire was plainly written on her face. River didn't realise how quickly the drug would work. By now, her skin would feel as if it were crawling. The need to drink more of its contents overwhelmed the woman. " I've told you the truth. Colonel Manton should be your target. "

River poured a second tiny taste. "Oh, he will be. So will this Varak ." River smiled coldly.

River watched with cold eyes as the woman swallowed the small amount. "Now, tell me what happened to happened to Dieruf's wife?."

Dram by dram River poured out the contents as NaV0 gladly told H'Tarle whatever he asked. River and Jack watched as she admitted to crimes just to smell the bottle.

"Is that stuff traceable?" H'Tarle asked when she was finished and the guard dragged NaV0 shaking back to her cell.

"No. She'll go to sleep, and when she wakes up all she will know is that we shared a drink and nothing more. It isn't addictive, but it is very effective as a truth serum." She looked at H'Tarle, "Don't tell Jack what you heard about the kid thing, it's probably hogwash anyway. I need to go shower." River shuttered after being so close to her enemy.

"Well, lets get your pictures first." H'Tarle wrapped an arm of support around his favourite female human,

Thirty minutes later , Jack and River left Borel. Linear time, they had three days to find Manton.

o0o

K'Nar jerked awake in the middle of the night, sitting bolt upright. Her heart pounded so hard that it left her shaking and breathless. The dream was horrible this time. He'd called her again, sounding terrified and alone. She didn't know where he was, but he screamed for her from across the universe. It was just five terrifying words.

"K'Nar, help me, I'm dying"


	32. Chapter 32 Goodnight Moon

Three days. Jack said that they would be gone for three days.

"What are you going to do?" Rory asked a worried Martha.

He'd watched Martha's expression grow increasingly worried for the last hour. Despite sedating him twice, they'd watched the now barely conscious Time Lord continue to fight a war with invisible demons. They watched him toss and twist in trying to chase the things that he saw attacking. Not even Hank's singing calmed him for more than a few minutes.

"If you knock him out the rest of the way, you can put a feeding tube, and an airway in him," Rory proposed. "He needs protein to replace what he's burning up. The therapist can suction him to keep his lungs clear, but he keeps this up, his hearts will fail. He can't go much longer. His rates are over 300."

Before she could answer, Thete rose up to leave and began cursing when he discovered that he couldn't go anywhere.

"Or we could put him in a coma and ventilate him, " She answered trying to hold her own fear and frustration in check, " but that opens him to the bigger risk of infection. Not to mention getting around the difficulty of tubing him or what it could do to his neurological status long-term. " Martha finished his thought as she looked at the worried faces of the people in the room.

Legally, Hank,Sarah and Nan had the final say, but Nan was gone, forced to keep an appointment.

"Hank, Sarah." Martha drew a deep breath. "Rory's right, we can't let him keep going. I don't want to put him on a ventilator. I can write an order for a sedation drip that will knock him completely out; just not to the point that interferes with his breathing. We'd keep him out until Jack gets back with K'Nar. That's at least three days, maybe longer. When she gets here, we can prove to him that she is alive, and start putting the pieces back."

Hank stared at Thete as he winced and kicked, cursing some unknown demon. He looked at Sarah and then turned back to Martha. " Why can't he catch a break, Doctor Jones ?"

"I don't know, Hank. I wish; I did. Maybe winding up here is the break. They could have dumped him in some alley: in Chicago or New York or the Middle East, and he would have died."

"What does that drip do for treating his pneumonia?" Sarah asked quietly.

"Actually, it'd probably make things easier. His antibiotics will continue, and his gene therapy will be easier because we won't have to hold him down. We can suction him without a fight, and feed him through a tube. " Martha answered the worried woman.

"Then," Hank looked at his wife who nodded, "I don't see you've got much choice. Put him under Doctor Jones. But, when you get him through this, you should know, I am taking him fishing before you take him home. I promised him remember." The man's eyes were full of tears.

"Yeah, I do, and Kentuckians keep their promises," she answered gently as she laid a hand on his arm. At least, she thought as she left the room, the universe made sure he landed where he would be safe with people who would love him .

Ten minutes later, she returned with Abby who carried a new bag of fluids.

"Wait, " Amy stopped Abby, " Just a minute. " Abby looked at Martha, who nodded her OK. One more minute wouldn't hurt. Turning Thete's head toward her, she whispered softly, " Doctor, open your eyes. I need you. Help me. "

Several seconds passed before he focused on the face in front of him. " Amy run, basically - run now," his said with a hoarse voice.

"Doctor, listen to me. K'Nar is coming," Amy said quietly. "Jack and River went to get her. The monsters have all gone, We're safe here. We can hide; no one will find us. We're going to get some rest now. You don't have to fight anymore. You have to sleep now."

"Amy, the Daleks, you should have, you really should. "

"I know, but you beat them. Now - it's time to sleep. "

Abby hung the new bag then leaned over the rail. His eyes fluttered closed as he called someone a filthy name. Abby leaned down to his ear barely whispering. " Sleep, Thete. When you wake up, your friend will be here . Everybody that loves you will be right here with you all the time. You are not alone. "

Abby injected a starting dose of the drug and set the IV rate. As Thete fell asleep, his eyes opened one last time to hit on Annie. He muttered something, closed his eyes and stopped fighting. Sarah let out a quiet sob of relief as his body went limp. Martha rubbed his chest, and then pinched the back of his hand. He was completely unresponsive. She watched as his heart rates dropped, each dropping to ninety beats a minute.

Amy looked up at Abby with tears running her face. " Thank you. "

"What did he say ?" Annie asked quietly as she brushed the hair back from his eyes.

"He said: K'Nar help me." Amy nearly sobbed.

"Right," Martha looked the worried group. "Here's the rest of the plan. As soon as it's ready, we are moving Thete from here to a private room on a closed unit. Torchwood will cover the cost of renting the entire unit, so everyone has a place to stay. The staff here will care for him, and I will be hiring private nurses to help."

Annie clung to his now completely limp hand. "We won't have to leave him?" Annie said softly.

"No," Martha answered, "I will be gone long enough to get my stuff from the hotel and make sure our equipment is here. Other than that, I will be here twenty-four, seven. Everyone can stake out a room."

"I have to make a call to get help with the stock," Hank said as he stood up just as Nan walked in.

"Damn, guys," she said as she moved to Thete, "I go to Louisville on business for a few hours and all hell breaks loose. Cowboy," she said as she gently kissed Thete's forehead, "what did you do?" no one missed that, upon hearing her voice, his hearts slowed further until they each beat at a steady sixty beats a minute. Thete slipped deep into a medicated coma where hopefully, no demon could go.

o0o

Annie walked in Thete's room and flashed a less than sincere, tight smile at the new caretaker standing at Thete's bedside straightening his covers. The woman just nodded as she finished. Annie resented that Doctor Jones had even hired the older woman even though her presence did seem to make a difference with the staff. The woman was certainly experienced and thorough, but to Annie, she came across cold, maybe even a little distant. Annie stepped around the woman and made to Thete's right side where she knew that he could hear her. She felt a bit triumphant when the woman took the hint and moved out of the way.

"You can take a break if you like," she suggested. "I'll be here awhile. Hank brought in a homemade blueberry pie."

"They hired me to stay with him," the woman answered tersely obviously reluctant to leave her charge.

"Well, it's not like your leaving. If I need you, I can call," Annie answered firmly as she flashed another cheeky grin at the woman.

"Hey Brit," she whispered in Thete's ear. He was laying on his side with a pillow behind his back, and one between his legs, unmoving and unresponsive. She kept an eye on the woman until she left and then turned to ease Thete into a more comfortable position. She started by adjusting the pillow to cradle his face the way he liked it. The woman, Annie thought her name was Mary, had tried to make him comfortable, but she didn't know the positions that he liked, and the one that he was in now, wasn't it. She readjusted his right arm so that his hand tucked under his chin. It just sort of lay there, so she placed it under his cheek. Now he just looked asleep. A smug grin crossed her face at the thought that Mary needed to eat pie and stay out of her territory. Sitting with Thete in the afternoon was her job. It was her time to read to him just as she had done since his admission. Reading to him was even more important now that he had no contact with the real world..

It's wrong to see you so still, she thought before she spoke. "I went to the library and checked out three books on astronomy, and one called The Time Machine. Wouldn't that be cool? We could use a time machine to go back and make sure this didn't happen." She leaned over and kissed his forehead, "Your new room is nice. There is more light, and the room is bigger. You can have a radio in here too. Kathy says that there's more privacy on this wing. Should be; we're the only ones on the whole unit. I'm glad, I'm not paying the bill," she snickered. "I borrowed a DVD player from my boss so we can have a movie too. It's an old comedy. You know what they say about laughter. It's called Birdcage. I guarantee there isn't a single bird in the movie."

She thought of him forced to listen as the monsters taunted him with the murder a child. It was a miracle that he trusted any woman within one hundred feet of him. For that matter, it amazed Annie that he let anyone near him. It was simply inconceivable that such cruelty existed. How much suffering was one person supposed to endure?

"I was going to climb in next to you," she continued as she dropped his side rail and pulled the chair snuggly next to bed so she could hold his hand. "But Mary the sitter said nooo, so - your stuck with me sitting next to you. I don't see the harm, but rules are rules, even if they are stupid." She adjusted the radio to soft Gospel music, set her bottle of diet soft drink on the bedside table and sat down to read.

"The nurses and doctors - even Doctor Jones say that you can't hear me because of the drugs they're giving you, but you know what; I don't believe them. If there is even a single chance that you can hear my voice, I'm reading to you just like we always do. I think that you can hear perfectly well, so - I thought we'd start with something different, NASA - The Story of the Hubble." Annie took a swallow of her soft drink, tucked her legs underneath, held his hand, and began to read.

If he could hear , then he would know he wasn't alone , trapped in some never-ending nightmare. As she read, a few of the words proved challenging, but she kept her tone even, as if she were reading Goodnight Moon to Emily. One thing was for sure. The pictures that NASA had taken from the telescope were truly the stuff of science fiction. Reading and describing the pictures of the discoveries made because of the Hubble telescope made her wish she'd stayed in school. Doing research for Thete's quizzes had not only been a challenge, but a ton of fun. She'd discovered that she really enjoyed studying astronomy and understood why Thete loved the stars. Until meeting him, she'd had no idea such beauty existed, in space or anywhere else for that matter. It made her wish she could go to college. That dream was gone now. She had a baby to raise.

A soft cough brought her attention to the door. Abby stood in the door smiling at her. She smiled back; it amazed her how much these people had accepted her and treated her like she was smart or something. They treated her as an equal.

"Hey Abby," she smiled at the nurse.

"Where's Mary? She's supposed to stay with him," Abby fussed.

"I told her to take a break, while I read to him."

"Hmm, come on help me turn him over," Abby said with a note of resignation.

As they turned him over, Annie hoped she had cause Mary trouble. She didn't want her there, but she didn't want her in trouble. She focused on the gentleness in Abby's hands. It always impressed Annie that Abby took such great care to protect Thete's dignity, but still managed to exam every inch of his skin and apply an antibiotic cream to his whip marks and cuts. It didn't seem possible that a little over a week had passed since he showed up in the alley. Abby finished the massage, checked his lines and double-checked that the food they pumped through the tube in his nose was properly placed, smiled and left her to read.

Two hours later, her voice gone, Annie closed the book, stood up and stretched. Any minute they'd be in to turn him on his back. That would be good. It was the perfect time to play her video of Emily and start the movie. "I'll be right back, just need to get rid of all the soda," she giggled. "How about when I come back, we watch Emily, I have her on DVD walking."

"Hey you," Nan and Sarah walked in.

"Hi, I'm just going to the bathroom, and I'll be right back. That Mary person," she said derisively, "will be in to turn him. I brought a DVD of Emily. My boss made it for me off my phone."

"Can't wait to see it." Sarah hugged her. "Annie, Doctor Jones hired her to relieve the nurses today."

"I know," Annie dropped her voice a bit and the smiled at Sarah. It was easy to imagine Sarah and Nan as her mom. "The DVD is by the player. It's really cute, she started walking."

"I can't believe she's already there," Nan laughed. Annie grinned and then bolted.

Several minutes later she walked back in to find Thete laying on his back and Amy and Rory giggling at the DVD. The Mary person sat in a far corner reading a magazine.

"Sorry," Rory reached over and turned the player off, "we couldn't resist."

"That's fine, what do you think of my baby girl?" Annie said proudly as she crossed over to the bed.

"She's beautifu..." Amy stuttered as Emily suddenly tottered across the screen. "I'm sorry," she said as she bolted from the room with Rory close behind.

Annie turned back to Nan, and Sarah stunned. "Did I do something wrong?

"No, we should have told you about Melody. With everything else, it didn't make sense to add to your worries."

It was then that Nan told her about Amy's baby. Annie was devastated that she had contributed to her new friends' pain. Not sure what to do, she turned the video off and went to find Amy and apologise. Annie couldn't fathom the pain of losing a baby. She hugged Amy and then they just sat and talked before going back to finish the DVD. In the end, it was almost fun.

As the afternoon stretched into the early evening, the usual parade of people came and went. When she was alone with him, she found herself watching the man who felt more like a friend than the man she lived with. Annie studied his face. His long eyelashes were shiny from the lubricant they put in his eyes. The bruises had started to have shades of green around the edges, he'd lost the raccoon look, but his face still looked painful. His jaws were hollow and slack, but he looked peaceful. She had a funny feeling that looks, at least in this case, were deceiving. She had hoped by now that he could have taught her something about astronomy. Instead, she prayed fifteen times a day that he wouldn't die before she actually got to know him. She ran her fingers through his hair as she talked to the one person who couldn't call her an idiot, or tell her that she was stupid.

"Did you like the movie? I love Robin Williams, he's so funny. Birdcage is one of my favourite movies. Even Amy wound up laughing. She said that she had never seen it before. I upset her. Didn't mean to. She's really nice, and she really loves you. No one told me about her baby - not until Nan did after I stuck my foot in it. I felt awful. I can't imagine that kind of pain. Rory told me that this whole mess started because you tried to rescue their baby. Might have known. Emily is staying with my parents every day this week. I took my vacation to spend my afternoons with you. At least, until Jack and River come back. Did we tell you; they're going to be gone a few days? They've gone back to Europe to track down K'Nar. I bet you don't remember that I pretended that I was her that first night."

Annie sighed at the memory as she ran her fingers through his hair, half expecting him to turn into her hand, but he just lay still.

"I just wanted you to rest. I hope they find her soon. They call a lot about you, so don't think they don't care because they do. It's just - well; I don't think they know where her family has hidden her. When Jack called the first time, he said they'd taken her into hiding; afraid the kidnappers might try again. He said the family fights against local bad guys who abuse women and kids. The bad guys don't like it, so they targeted her family. But they'll find her. You'll see. When you wake up, she'll be here - safe and sound."

Annie stretched her legs and then swallowed hard. " I broke up with Mike last night. Waited all day to tell you that. He's been such a jerk-wad - do you even know what that is? Anyway last night, he threw a fit because I was on-line when he got home. Then when I told him, I was coming back to the hospital, he threw a bigger fit. The next thing I know, he grabbed me and threw me over the couch. The neighbours must have heard because they called the cops. It wasn't the first time he hurt me, but it will be the last. Meeting you guys gave me the strength to have the cops throw him out on his backside. I want someone like Rory. He is so good to Amy, he practically drools over her.'

Annie suddenly snickered. "I overheard Hank tell Nan that you were probably taken by River. I gotta say, she's a little old for you. But, hey, whatever floats your boat . Doctor Jones talks to her like she's your wife. She keeps telling her not to worry, so I'm guessing Hank's right. " Annie giggled at the thought of Thete in bed with River. " Hank called it a cougar thing. I think - you're just afraid of women your own age. I just can't see you two, you know, together - together. "

Annie missed Cass walking in the room, and didn't realise how late it was getting. She tried to hide her embarrassment when she looked up to see the nurse. She hadn't intended anyone to hear her secrets.

"Annie," Cass chided gently, "I keep telling you, he can't hear you."

"You never know, Cass, he might. I went on-line, and read about the research they're doing on coma patients. "

"Honey, that's people who've had brain injuries or strokes. Thete is in a drug induced coma. It suppresses everything. "

"I just think he might, you know. He was so scared when Abby gave him the medicine that put him to sleep. He thought that, I was K'Nar when he asked me/her to help him. I have to do this, you know. I have to let him know that he's not alone. " She glanced at him, determination in her voice.

"Yeah, actually, I do know," Cass answered gently. " If it makes you feel better, I talk to him too. I miss his accent and asking us to let him help Mrs Schlesser. Anyway, I heard what you said about your boyfriend. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I told Nan about it. Sarah and Amy overheard. They told Hank and Rory. My mother called to tell me, they went to the apartment and paid him a visit. Mom said; they told him never to come near me or Emily again. It's funny; my Dad hit my Mom all the time, and until this happened I never thought it was supposed to be different. Thete changed that. He's skinny, and a genius, and well, look what he did for Amy. He travelled halfway around the world trying to find her baby. You know that he must have been scared to do that, and he went anyway. I mean you don't expect some science geek to go all Rambo do you ? But he did, and he's almost died doing it. He didn't find her baby, but he did stop monsters from getting a dangerous weapon. If he can do that, I can stand up to a jerkwad. Cass, can I ask you something ?"

"Sure, honey, you can ask me anything ?"

"Do you think he really believes that it's his fault that Amy's baby is dead ?"

"I don't know. Amy and Rory think so, and it's killing them. They don't want him carrying that kind of guilt. When he's well, a good shrink can help him deal with it. They're going to need some help too. All of them"

"Yeah, makes my problem seem so petty. "

"Your problem isn't petty, Annie; it's just different. You're a smart girl. Too smart to hook up with idiots. Have you thought about going back to school ?"

"It would be nice, but with Emily, I don't see how. I've not done too bad. I've made it to assistant manager at the store. "

"You could do better," Cass fussed gently. " Doctor Jones is coming to do her evening scans. Think you can help me turn this skinny guy over ?"

"Yeah. I'd like to. "

"Hey sleepy head, " Cass crooned to Thete, " it's time to turn you're skinny backside over. "

o0o

Sunlight filtered through the blinds. Thete lay perfectly unaware of the shadows that played across the pictures on the wall by his bed. Three days into a drug induced coma, small, steady signs of improvement were beginning to show. Thanks to the breathing treatments, when Nan or Sarah laid a hand on his thin chest, they could no longer feel his chest rattle with congestion. His hearts beat steadily at sixty beats per minute each. Since no one was forced to hold him down, the therapists were able to slide a catheter into his nose until his cough reflex kicked in and suction his lungs. With the constant care, his infections and the wounds on his back were finally beginning to heal. To anyone peaking at him from the doorway, despite being oblivious to the world, he appeared better.

At least - on the outside.

Locked inside his mind, he tried desperately to find a way to make someone know that he was alive. He could hear them talking. They were suffocating him on a regular basis. He could feel the thing slide in his nose and he tried to fight it. His lungs burned from the air being sucked out. His hearts pounded in his ears. It hurt so much. He screamed to the universe for help, but only silence came back. They moved him into positions he didn't want, causing his shoulders and his ribs to ache. The worse thing came when they stripped and washed his most private areas. He knew when he had an accident like a baby , and wanted to die from the humiliation.

He tried to order his body to move, wiggle, to do something. But he couldn't. He wanted to tell them that he was in there, trapped, and then - he heard her. Thete clung tightly to his balloon as he slid down the sidewall of the big blue box to listen. The voice was soft, gentle and slightly older, but it had to belong to K'Nar. Maybe, finally - she was coming.

He listened to the voice tell about something called a jerk wad and then she talked about his stars. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep listening to the soft lilt of her voice clinging to hope that the nightmare would end soon. Or, that he'd accept his own death. He didn't want to be dead, though. There was so much more that he wanted to see.

o0o

Martha ran one of the multitude of scans she'd run since inducing Thete's coma and frowned. "That's not possible, " she muttered to no one in particular.

"What's wrong, Doctor Jones?"

Martha looked up to see Nan and Sarah coming in with Amy a half step behind. "I've run his scan every two hours this morning and each scan show increasing activity as if he's trying to wake up. He's metabolising the drug much faster than he should."

"Can we let him ?" Amy asked. She tried not to sound overly hopeful. " Wake up, I mean. It has been three days, Martha. His temp is almost normal. "

"I can try, but he'd come up fighting. His lungs are better, but the pneumonia is still there, and I don't want to stress his lungs or his hearts. Honestly, I don't think it has been long enough. I think we need to stick to the plan. I'll put him under further, and up his scans to every hour for a while. " Martha changed the rate and watched as Nan leaned over to whisper in his left ear that all was right with the world and to go back to sleep. Martha missed seeing Nan wipe away the single tear sliding down Thete's cheek.

o0o

Thete sat at the entrance of his cave staring up at Gallifrey's night sky. He was lonely and missed K'Nar so much. She stopped talking. Noises that he didn't understand replaced the sweet sound of her voice . His body ached ; he was so tired of the pain. He tied his balloon around his wrist and lay down on the soft, sweet grass of home. Just as he started to get comfortable, blackness began to creep toward his feet, forcing him to scramble back to the safety of his cave. No matter how he turned, it followed. Something burned in his arm, increasing the speed of the darkness enveloping the cave. He backed away, screaming for K'Nar; begging her to come back to him. The darkness pushed at him until he felt cold rock against his back. There was nowhere else to run. He closed his eyes with tears running down his face and let the darkness take him.

Someone whispered: "You're not alone, Cowboy. We're right here," in his left ear.

o0o

Rotas are marvellous things to have when a family has to sit with someone ill, especially when an ex-teacher sets the entire thing up. Sarah took over the mid-afternoon shift with Annie coming in later for the early evening. The schedule made it easier for Hank to care for the farm, Nan to check on her ancient hound, and ensured Annie spent time with her baby. Sarah spent her time chatting to Thete as she quilted silver stars on a dark blue background. She had sketched the pattern out to look like the Spiral Galaxy. Annie had gone to NASA's site and found a picture. It was a challenge to make her pattern look real, but each tiny stitch gave the picture a 3-D effect.

Martha stood at the door watching Sarah, fascinated by the delicate touch of the woman's hands. She had a surgeon's hands. "Hey," she finally spoke up, immediately regretting interrupting. The older woman jumped a little, sticking herself with the needle.

"Hello Doctor Jones, pull up a chair," Sarah answered as she sucked the blood from the end of her finger.

Martha sat down by her, amazed at the woman's artistry. "Sarah, I'm so sorry," Martha apologised. "That's... That's amazingly beautiful."

"Why, thank you. Hopefully I'll get it finished for him before he leaves," Sarah chuckled.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Sarah dropped the piece and met Martha's gaze. "What's up?"

"I've wanted to ask this when I got here, but I've not had the nerve. Why are you doing this?"

"What, quilting?" Sarah smiled cheekily.

Martha just looked her.

"You mean; why am I sitting here?"

Martha nodded at the older woman.

"Doctor Jones -"

"Please, call me Martha," Martha said warmly as she reached out to trace a finger on the quilt. It was actually the beginning of an art piece.

"Martha, you are very young, and I doubt you know much of what when on in this country when it comes to civil rights, do you?"

"Just what we learned in school." Martha watched the woman lean back and close her eyes before she answered. Martha hoped that she hadn't upset her, but finally that soft southern accent filled the room.

"Well, for people like us, this country was very different place when Hank and I were kids, especially in the south. I was lucky, I grew up the daughter of professors at a black college in South Carolina. Hank, however, grew up in the backwoods of Mississippi. In 1965, he was fifteen years old. His parents were involved with the Freedom Rides. They traveled the back roads to register black voters. That was a dangerous thing to do in those days. That summer is now referred to as Freedom Summer in the history books." Sarah sighed at the memories of that summer.

"Anyway, one night, three members of the KKK cornered Hank and his friend, Nate. First, they intended to beat those boys to a pulp and then they planned to lynch them - in front of their parents. They'd hit Hank twice, breaking his nose, when a shotgun blast ripped through the night stopping the men. When they turned around, a white man pointing a shotgun stood in the shadows. He said something like 'the next person to touch those boys is going to get a load of rock-salt.' The stranger kept the gun pointed on the men while he got the boys behind him. He went on to tell the men that if they so much as breathed in the direction of the boys or their family he'd hunt them down. The stranger took the boys home. When Hank asked why he'd helped them; the man just smiled, and said, "Never forget, kid, blood is blood. It doesn't matter what colour the container is, God created it all. To be a man, you never turn your back on someone in trouble."

"That's an amazing story. What happened to the man?"

"I don't know. I don't think Hank ever saw him again. He was just there and then he was gone. But the act of that strange white man dressed all in leather marked Hank - forever. Eventually, the FBI caught the three KKK members for another murder and Hank grew up to join the Army, He has never turned his back on anyone in trouble. I think, whether he realises it or not, when he saw Thete, he saw himself all those years ago. He could not walk away. The reason we stayed: that's because of what happened in the ER. And now, well, we sort of adopted him. He trusts Hank implicitly, and you heard him call Nan, and I mum. You can't betray that kind of trust."

"What about Nan?"

"Ah, Nan. We were friends, the four of us, best friends, like you all are best friends with Thete. Her husband, Rod, and Hank were the best of friends for three years before we women got involved. No matter where we wound up stationed, we always stayed in contact. Our kids were more like cousins than friends. We spent our vacations and most holidays together. It made sense for us to retire to the same place. Four years ago, Rod dropped dead from a massive heart attack. She actually held up fairly well. She was a soldier's wife in every way. Until last year. Her youngest Derek was in Afghanistan on patrol when roadside bomb went off. He died in a military hospital in Germany. His death sent her to her knees. He was just twenty-five years old. The café saved her, she had a place to go and something to do, but she wasn't happy. And then Thete showed up. She saw Derek, alone - scared and the mother in her took hold. Of course, she doesn't honestly believe that's what she's doing."

"What about you, Sarah? You must have thought this was nuts."

"No, I saw a boy in trouble, and I guess the mother in me took hold, too. Does that answer all of your questions?" Sarah finished gently.

"You are amazing," Martha smiled, "all of you," She finished as she reached to squeeze the older woman's hand.

Sarah patted her hand "Nah, we're just family, Hon."

o0o

As she waited for the results of the latest scan, Martha marvelled at the people who had dropped in to their lives. Not just Hank, Sarah and Nan, but Annie and the folks who were in the café that first night. They had come together to form the Take care of the Brits Club. Every four hours someone, usually two, would show up with reading material for Thete, and home cooked meals for everyone just to make sure something besides hospital food was available. They even came at night, so that the exhausted, cobbled together family, could catch some sleep.

One man named Bob brought a DVD player with British TV shows hoping Thete would feel more at home listening to British accents. Like Annie, when they weren't reading, they talked. The thought that they would spend all that time telling not just silly things, but their life-altering events amazed her. True, he couldn't comment, but others could hear. The preacher from Hank's church came and prayed for his recovery. Martha explained Thete wasn't religious, but the man's answer was simple: who better should he pray for?

All three of the Brits accepted their kindness with heartfelt gratitude. In a way, Sarah was right, they'd become an extended family. The hours ticked by, Thete was never alone longer than five minutes. They touched him, gave him gentle massages and exercises to keep his limbs from going stiff. By evening Martha found herself watching the elevator door. It was silly, she knew they weren't back yet. She talked to them every few hours -still.

She sat at the table in the unit's little kitchen staring at the scan results. The cup of tea and slice of pie sat uneaten while she studied the dark spots in the areas of his brain that controlled his Time Lord functions. She was convinced that the lack of artron energy in those areas caused the entire episode and that it was a form of seizures, not psychosis. She barely heard Hank walk up.

"Hey Doc, my pie no good?"

"Huh, no - it's fine. Just not hungry, I guess," she replied somewhat distracted as she turned the scanner off.

"What are you worried about."

Martha gazed at the gentle man for a long moment before she found her voice.

"Just worried in general," she replied. "It's my nature." There was no need to worry the man about her concerns of permanent brain damage. "I'm just making sure that he doesn't show any evidence of waking up," she reassured him. "I re-adjusted his drip again." She squirmed under Hank's questioning gaze.

"You'd tell us if there were anything else wrong - wouldn't you?" Hank asked obviously worried.

Martha thought she heard a note of distrust but pushed the thought away, "Yes Hank, don't worry. That's my job, and if the scan shows something going wrong, I promise, I will tell you."

"Right, I'll just go check on my girls." He patted her shoulder and walked away.

For several minutes, Martha sat poking the pie while she contemplated how to explain things if he went pear-shaped again. The sound of the elevator drew her attention to that end of the hall. It was the wrong time of the day for anyone to come up. For a brief moment, she hoped to see River and Jack surprising them. Instead, Annie stepped out carrying Emily. The girl was early, and never brought the baby to the hospital. When she shifted Emily to the other hip, Martha couldn't help the profanity that came out of her mouth as she rushed to the young mother.

"What the bloody hell happened to you?" Her tone brought Nan and Amy from the lounge.

"It's okay. I'm fine," her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Annie what happened?" Nan rushed to take Emily in her arms so Martha could see the marks on her face.

"Mike came to the house, and we had a fight. He hit me and tried to drag me out of the house. He left when Mom told him that she was calling the cops. She told me to take the baby and leave. I didn't know where else to go." She snuffled.

"Where did he go?" Rory came out of his room. Amy and Martha looked up surprised by his calm tone because the expression on his face was utterly cold.

"Rory, please, I called the police. I just can't go back to my apartment now. He's there. "

"Annie, it's not in my nature to act violently. Hank and I will simply have another little chat with him, I give you my word. You stay here until we get back. "

Martha watched Rory as he headed for the elevator, the mobile already to his ear. That wasn't the meek, mild Rory that Amy talked about or that she had seen since meeting. He walked taller, moved like a man who might not have kept one friend from nearly getting killed, but was not going to allow it to happen to a second.

Two hours later, a worried Sarah handed an equally worried Amy a slice of pumpkin pie, reminding her that she had married a good, level-headed man. They'd heard nothing from either man since Rory had walked off the floor. When the two men came sauntering off the elevator with Nan they weren't whether hug or smack them.

"Look what the cat drug in." Nan laughed.

Amy ran the few steps to Rory letting him catch her as she leaped in his arms. After she kissed him and stood on her feet, she punched his arm and then pulled his face down to hers. "Don't do that to me again. I have enough to worry about without worrying about you getting arrested in America!" She wanted to shout at him, but just fussed.

"Where's Annie?" he asked as he lovingly kissed her forehead.

"She's sitting with the D-Thete. We put the baby down for a nap on his bed. They look so cute together. I took a picture."

"You two didn't ..." Sarah asked, concerned her husband had lost his temper. He hated men who thought it was alright to hit women.

"Nope, we chatted - firmly." Hank smiled. "I explained to him that several of our friends are from Fort Knox. They will be watching him. I explained that all Annie had to do was suspect that he was anywhere near her, the baby, or that he wasn't paying child support. I simply informed him that a member of certain unit akin to the unit who took out bin Laden would pay him an unexpected visit if he so much as spoke to her in an ungentlemanly fashion - and no-one would ever know.

"Of course, Hank told him that story right after I told him, mine. All about a certain friend who would reach back into the farthest regions of his brain and rip his tongue out through his nose if he ever touched her again. I swear, we," Rory pointed to himself and then Hank, "never touched him."

"You - - are - - an idiot. " Amy hugged her husband.

"I thought I was a stupid face." He smiled as he kissed her. All they had to do now was find a way to keep Annie safe after they left.

Martha glanced at her watch. Jack and River were late.


	33. Chapter 33 K'Nar

**_Uinals- Vshak month borrowed from the Mayan calendar_**

o0o

K'Nar twisted and moaned in her sleep. The coverlet ensnared her legs as she tried to run to her Lord. Images of his body lying on the cell floor filled the dream. One moment, he twisted and danced to the strange call of a siren, the next he crawled on the cold, concrete floor, entangled in his own clothes. The dream deepened further as he called for her.

_Run, K'Nar, run. I'm coming for you. Hide from the monsters._

The images tumbled around until finally; she jerked upright, gasping for air. The bed was as much her enemy as the horrid compound. Cold fear sent her scrambling for the safety of her window seat. She needed air, her lungs felt constricted by fear. She didn't remember her windows being so heavy as she pushed them out to let the brisk night air soothe her skin. For several minutes, she just sat feeling her heart pound. Every thump so hard that it felt as if it would burst through her thin chest. Slowly, as she bathed in the fresh air, it slowed until she was no longer aware of its beat. When she could move her limbs again, she drew her knees up and gazed up at the night sky.

"Are you out there, my Lord?" she whispered to the night air.

She half expected an answer, but only the silence of the night answered.

K'Nar's attention shifted to Vshak's three full moons. On such a clear night like tonight, their reflections played across the terrace pond twinkling in the ripples of the water. The longer that she stared the more it reminded her of the stars streaming past the windows of the Starliner that brought her home. Since coming back, this had become her favourite time of the night. The palace was quiet now. Peace enveloped her after everyone slept. This was the only time of the day left to her when her mind didn't feel under assault by the presence of others. She'd never realised how noisy her people were all while rarely making a sound. It seemed their mental chatter never stopped. She missed the silence from the mind blinds. She heard their thoughts only when she chose to. But, Vshakians, GRVA how they could talk.

In the quiet of the night, she could be alone just to sit, think ... and remember. She'd heard him again - - in her dreams. His pain and fear - - stalking her in the realms that she'd learnt quickly after returning home to keep carefully kept hidden behind impenetrable shields where no other telepath could go. Her weeks in that horrible place had taught her all too well how to accomplish that little trick. It didn't matter that she hid them from the precise people who saved her, brought her home and loved her.

It was hard for her to believe that over two uinals had passed since her parents and the Palace guards brought her safely back to her home, her family ... to her world. Her world - her beautiful, peaceful world was no longer peaceful. The joy of being safe at home with fled with it. Only crushing loneliness remained. Her family, friends, even the servants tried to fill the void, but to no avail. They couldn't understand how she could miss a bedraggled, injured stranger so much that she couldn't fully enjoy her homecoming.

Sitting in the darkness of her room was a relief. The same people who loved her made her feel - smothered and hemmed in. They all expected her to act Vshakian ;to use telepathy again. After all, that's who, and what they were - telepaths. But now ... it was so hard to communicate like. K'Nar wanted to speak out loud like the mind blind; to hide her thoughts and nightmares behind false speech.

The thoughts and mind chatter other Vshakian left of her feeling invaded. But, worse was the feeling of betrayal that she had every time she used telepathy with anyone. She desperately feared that they would discover the secrets that she had locked away in her own mind: his homeworld, his incredible magic ship, even his name. If the healers or her parents knew, they would send her back to the Centre. So she kept them well-hidden - from everyone.

K'Nar's thoughts turned to TBrae. The last time that she saw her, the bird people were giving her drugs to make her sleep. _At least,_ K'Nar thought,_ she had the comfort of the human women rocking her as she was made to sleep: TBrae had no one. He had no one. _What must he think of her for abandoning him? She couldn't get the image out of her head, or the guilt out of her heart. What good was it to be a telepath if you couldn't stop the evil acts of others?

K'Nar rested her chin on her knees, remembering the look of horror on his face when he flashed out of that place - alone. I failed him - I failed them both. I should never have left him alone in that place, she thought as bitter tears coursed down her young cheeks. I should have taken him to the console room with me. He couldn't even function after what the monsters did. When she was Queen, she would enact new laws that taught students the right way to stop evil. When she was Queen...

K'Nar wondered if anyone had found him, stayed with him. Who was helping him heal? The Healers who attended to her stayed by her side constantly after she was brought home. She'd spent eight days at the Healing Centre. There, they helped her control her nightmares that resulted from the forced transformations and the abuse of her Lord and TBrae. Her parents sat by her side as she battled the images that burned away her brain. She was placed on a holographic monitor where every nightmare, every horrible memory was displayed. No one left her as she sobbed; instead they gave her the strength to fight the memories that otherwise overwhelmed her. By her eighth night at the healing centre, she was calm enough to return to the Palace. But even then, a healer slept in her room. With constant care, the psychic damage began to heal. Almost three weeks went by before she finally sent her first telepathic message to her parents. Only then did they permit her a certain amount of freedom, and let her sleep alone. Who stayed with him and TBrae during their nightmares or did they have to face them alone?

Today the healers had come to the palace family quarters to talk with her parents. She overheard what they said. "It's only been two uinals. She is still depressed. It makes it difficult to focus on her own healing," one said. "She suffers from something called survivor's guilt. In time," the other said: "she will heal, and with the help of the Healers, she'll forget." But K'Nar saw her mother's face, and knew that she did not believe them. If her mother, who led the Healers Council, didn't believe her fellow healers, how could K'Nar? Besides, she didn't want to forget. She never wanted to forget those horrors. They had to be remembered forever. If anyone ever forgot, how could the government fight the exact people who had caused them? It was her duty to remember; for the day when she ran the government as queen.

A smile played across K'Nar's face as she watched a nightbird fly across the pond. Its reflection rippled in the water reminding her what a resourceful and strong girl she was. That made her proud. She remembered the shocked faces of everyone when she returned. They were all surprised by her courage and tenacity. When the news hit the Mistress had forced her to care for a naked and bleeding man the people had flocked to the Shrines to give thanks to the Goddesses. The crime of forcing a female to see such a thing called for the death penalty. K'Nar remembered dropping to her knees and begging her father not to let that happen. Her Lord would be devastated by such a thing. She'd seen inside his mind and knew he couldn't bear the pain. Because most Vshakians believed that the Princess was a walking miracle, he relented.

K'Nar shivered against the cold. She pulled her coverlet tight and watched the nightbird swoop in front of the moons. It called to its mate somewhere in the trees. She heard the soft trill of the mate answering. Maybe, she thought, there is something different about me. I did survived everything the Mistress forced and even managed to keep the evil beings away. I even survived my trial. In the end, even father agreed that I'm different. Papa even called me, his little Miracle. But why GRVA, why didn't you let me stop the evil men from hurting them? Why?

A shadow moved across the moons, sending a shiver through her, reminding her of the reason that she was sitting in the dark. This was the one dream that would not go away. It came every night in some form or another. It was the dream that fuelled her guilt. At first, she woke up screaming, bringing the healers, her ladies in waiting and parents running. Now, she would just jerk awake and pray to GRVA to keep him safe.

The dream was always the same. He was ill, and calling for her; _"K'Nar are you safe? Run K'Nar, run_." Tonight, though, it was different. Tonight, the dream left her feeling as if someone had placed a pillow over her face smothering her. She jerked awake with five terrifying words echoing in her brain. She feared that he was dying somewhere in the universe, alone without her. Just then, it struck her that for as much as she worried for TBrae, she never dreamed about her, and she wondered why.

"Eh hum."

K'Nar looked up to see her handmaiden and best friend standing in the open doorway to the balcony. "What are you doing awake?"

"The question is, my Lady, what are you doing awake?"

"Thinking about classes," K'Nar lied. "I haven't gone in so long, I guess, I am afraid of how much I missed."

"Why my Lady? You have nothing to be afraid of. You know more than the teachers by now."

K'Nar didn't answer she just stared dreamily out across the garden.

"You've had the dream again, my Lady, haven't you?"

"Yes Nela, but don't tell Mother; she just worries."

K'Nar shifted her gaze to the face of her gentle mind-blind friend and smiled. There was nothing but love expressed in her dark amethyst eyes. Instead of someone probing her shields, she felt nothing but love coming from their depths. Before this whole mess, she'd felt sorry for Nela. But now, as she looked into her friend's dark eyes, she was glad. K'Nar reached for her friend's hand. "Thank you," she murmured tentatively.

"For what?" Nela replied obviously perplexed by her mistress.

"For being lost in the maze. For being my friend. For impressing my mother enough to let you become my handmaiden. For lots of things," she replied.

Nela squeezed her friend's hand and then pulled her coverlet up around to block the cold air. "You need to stay warm, besides it's I who should be grateful, and I am - beyond words. You begged your mother to let an abandoned mind-blind child live in the palace. I don't know what I would be if I weren't your friend."

"Friends forever?" K'Nar muttered their childhood bond. K'Nar flashed a tight smile at her friend and scooted over to allow her to sit beside her.

"Friends forever. Nothing can break our friendship, my Lady," Nela responded as she joined her under the coverlet to stare at the stars.

"It is a beautiful night isn't it, my Lady?" Nela said as the nightbird called once more to its mate.

"I look out there, wondering where he is, and if his friends found him. Nela, what if he's alone? I miss him. I know, I shouldn't, but I do. I feel like a piece of me is gone," K'Nar said longingly.

"My Lady, you must stop worrying. He is grown, is he not? You had the dream again didn't you, my Lady?"

"The dream was different tonight." K'Nar's voice trembled at the frightening memory.

"How so, my Lady?"

"He called for me to help because he was dying." Tears traced her way down her cheeks.

"He didn't say run this time?" Nela asked with a hint of disbelief.

"No, he didn't," K'Nar said flatly as she glared at her friend.

"My lady," Nela said as she reached to wipe K'Nar's tears away, "Surely, it's just because you miss him so much? Don't you think that he must have done something to survive all that time before he met you."

"Now you sound like Mother." K'Nar pulled a face and stuck her tongue out at.

Nela giggled and scrambled out of the coverlet. The cold sent a shiver through her. "It's cold, and you are tired. Part of your dreams come from not sleeping. You have classes in the morning, and then Healer Zbah is coming. Come on; you need to go to bed."

Nela pulled K'Nar up and pulled her back into the room and closed the doors against the night air. "Besides, if I sound like your mother," she said with a giggle as they walked back to the bed, "I want more respect." She tucked K'Nar in like the sleepy child that she truly was. Nela curled up on the bed next to her friend.

"You don't understand, Nela." K'Nar snuggled under the blankets. "I should never have left him. They hurt him, Nela." K'Nar had tears in her eyes when she looked at her friend. "He depended on me, and I failed him when I left him. No one has ever depended on me. When I was in that place, I did things, stood up to people, and now - - now I'm supposed to be a baby. He's hurt, and I can't help," She rambled between shuddering breaths. Her lower lip trembled. She hated that she couldn't hide her frustration or her fear.

"K'Nar, you are not a baby. You are a hero, don't you know that?" Nela climbed under the blanket, turned on her side and leaned up on her elbow to look at her friend.

"I'm no hero. I didn't stop them from hurting him or TBrae."

"You are so very wrong, my Lady. All of us-your parents, the servants, and your friends all know that you are a hero."

"Do you really believe that?" K'Nar asked as she wiped her tears.

"Yes. We talk about it in the servants' quarters all the time." Nela looked at her friend with a look of incredulity. "You did something that none of us could do. It's a miracle of GRVA that you are alive. You fooled an evil person into believing you were like me and because of it, you saved a man's life. You even saw him as he was when he was born, and your eyes didn't burn. Everyone knows a maiden's eyes will burn if she sees that, and yours didn't. You - are blessed by the Goddesses."

"I prayed - all the time. If I am blessed, why didn't they answer sooner?

Nela laid her hand on her friend's heart. "If GRVA rescued you sooner, my Lady, your Lord would have died in that place."

K'Nar stared for a long moment, let out a large sigh, and curled up next to her friend letting Nela stroked her hair in comfort until she drifted to sleep.

Once her Mistress was asleep, Nela slipped from the bed for the lonely walk back to her room. She wished she could make K'Nar understand. Her room was only thirty feet from K'Nar's room, and she made the trip with a heavy heart. At thirteen, she didn't understand why this tragedy had come into their lives, or how to make her Mistress believe that she was more than brave. She was an intergalactic heroine. Turning the corner, she was stunned to find a figure standing in the hallway. Nela dropped to her knees and placed her forehead on the floor.

"Your Majesty."

"Nela, did my daughter dream of him again?"

"It was nothing, your Majesty. She's fine."

"Nela, you are a good friend as well as a good handmaiden. When my daughter found you abandoned in the maze, I did not think that a mind blind child would accomplish as much as you have, but you have proved remarkable. But, remember Nela, your friend is my daughter and your future Queen. You must put her interests first, not her secrets. I ask you again, did she have the dream?"

"Yes, your Majesty, but really, she is fine."

"Nela, is my daughter still teaching you?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Hmm, go to bed Nela."

Morning came too early for the tired teen. K'Nar groaned as she rolled out of bed. Nela had left during the night. She hated waking up alone. It felt good to have her friend spend the night, sharing secrets just like they did when they were little. It made it easier to get up when Nela was in the room. She stared at the double doors leading out to the balcony. She didn't want to go to class. She wanted to eat a breakfast of fruit out on the balcony and then slip out of the palace, find Nela and go the Gardens.

Instead, she changed out of her night-clothes and waited for Nela to brush her hair. It was hard to let people wait on her, even her best friend. But her mother watched and listened, making sure she acted her station. Her mother was a kind and gentle woman, but she gauged her daughter's recovery by how she resumed her old life and her old life didn't seem right anymore.

As soon as Nela came, she helped K'Nar slip into her shift and school robes. Nela brushed, braided, and then wrapped the long braid in an intricate design around K'Nar's head, securing it with tiny silver pins. Maidens were supposed to wear their up until their eighteenth summer, but in captivity K'Nar was forced to wear hers down. Now she stared at her image and found herself wondering if she looked grown up. Would he remember that her braid had hung down her back in that place and be ashamed, or would he like it? What would he think of her with her hair hanging loose for her bonding?

"Nela, do you dream of the day you can wear your hair down?"

Nela blushed to her very core and giggled. "Yes, but I don't think it will happen."

"Why not?"

"I just don't think that's my destiny. My destiny lies with being your handmaiden."

"Mother's handmaiden is bonded." K'Nar countered as she gathered her text and word pad.

"See you this afternoon, your Highness." Nela smiled.

K'Nar stopped and looked at her friend. "Nela, what about school-would you like to go to school?"

"My Lady, you know they won't let me go, so why would I worry about it?"

"It's not fair. Just because, you're mind blind and an orphan, that shouldn't keep you from school."

"My Lady, you have taught me everything you know. It's good enough. Besides, everyone knows the real reason is that my father is Varak the Betrayer."

"Do you hate him, Nela?"

"No... I used to. But if he had not abandoned me after Mother died, you would not have found me, and I wouldn't have the life I do. I suppose; I am grateful to him. It would be nice to go to school, but I am happy. I have you for my friend and my teacher."

Sighing deeply, K'Nar took one last look in the mirror and went to class. Someday, when she was the Queen of Vshak, the laws would change so that women could wear their hair however they wanted, and all children could attend school - even the mind blind. She would have a school for special children and orphans. Someday - when she was Queen.

K'Nar couldn't wait until her morning was over. When classes finally ended, she walked back through the Palace to the family quarters. Tossing her class work on her desk, she slipped out of her robes and laid them outside her door on the chair. K'Nar just wanted to sit quietly alone with her thoughts. Later she would share her lessons with Nela, but first she wanted to be alone.

She entered her suite, headed for the double doors to the balcony and stepped out in the warm sun. Below and just to the left, she could see the Palace Gardens. That was her favourite place on the Palace estates. Her great-grandparents designed had the Gardens to share their joy of meditating. The Gardens were divided into three realms designed to bring visitors tranquility. The innermost realm was the Sanctuary, open only to the Royal Family. Surrounding the Sanctuary lay the Meditation realm. Visitors could wander, under the protection of Palace guards content with their own thoughts. The walls of the Maze surrounded the inner realms. It offered challenges to those needing to discover answers to their life paths. Designed to bring peace to the seeker's heart,it led to an exit through the temple.

Not waiting for Nela, K'Nar changed from her royal robes to a simple dress, left her suite and headed for her favourite spot. She made her way across the terrace to the crushed blue stone pathway that let to the Inner Sanctum. Under the watchful eyes of her guards, she entered the heart of the garden. She felt the guards tickle her mind making her aware of their presence and flooding her with a sense of security. Sh was grateful that they were watching. The path cut through intricate flower beds. A mix of scents filled the air. Each flower bed was designed to relax the passersby. It had that same effect on K'Nar. The weight seemed to lift off her young shoulders as she moved further along the path.

The shrine to GRVA, the Goddess of Peace and Harmony was K'Nar's first stop. She knelt and prayed for the well-being of the Young Lord and for T'Brae. Since the Palace guards returned her home, she prayed at the shrine every chance she had. If she prayed hard enough, often enough, surely the good Goddess would send word to her parents about him. After all, the Goddess finally answered her prayers to bring her home.

K'Nar rose to her feet and made her way to the very heart of the Gardens. The Tree of Songs stood fifty feet tall at the very centre of the garden. A marble bench curved around the tree's wide base. This was her spot. This is where she could breathe, unfettered by rules or expectations. Leaning back against its trunk, its graceful branches bent down and folded around her. The tree's fragile blue flowers gave off a delicate scent of freshly laundered linen. She once heard a human visitor say it reminded him of something called vanilla.

A soft breeze picked up, rustling the branches, sending out the gentle tinkle of chimes. In the peaceful, warm afternoon, K'Nar let her mind wander, remembering the Young Lord's head in her lap. Even here, she could hear him. Alone and in terrible trouble, he was calling for her. How was that possible, she thought as she drifted to sleep. The Healers told her their link was broken; that being yanked away from her would have severed it. How could that be true when she could hear his call for help?

"Your Highness ... your Highness?"

K'Nar opened her still sleepy eyes to see her tutor standing in front of her. "Lady Thera? Is something wrong? Did I forget a lesson?"

"No, child. Your mother seeks you. Did you not feel her call?"

"No, I must have dozed off." K'Nar rose to her feet, signalling to her guards that she was ready to return to the Palace. "Have I done something wrong?" K'Nar asked confused.

"No, your Highness. She wishes to speak to you of someone called the Doctor."

K'Nar stood very still, letting the name sink in; the Goddess GRVA had finally answered her prayers.

Joy bubbled up from the core of her being as she took off running down the path. Her feet barely touched the stones. In her hurry, she slipped and forced herself to slow down. She stumbled to a stop before reaching the glass doors that opened into her family's private quarters.

K'Nar forced a sense of calm back into her mind before she entered her family's quarters. It seemed an eternity before a maidservant opened the doors and bowed. K'Nar giggled at the woman, who shook her head. K'Nar tried not see the servant's thoughts, but she thought her future Queen silly. At least, K'Nar shielded her own thoughts, not everyone thinks I'm such a hero.

She drew a deep breath, and mustered all the dignity expected of a Princess before she crossed the marble floor and walked under intricately carved arch that defined the family quarters from the public area of the Palace. Light streaming in from the glass dome reflected off the highly polished walls. K'Nar realised how much she had missed the beauty of her home in her weeks in that horrible place.

As a little girl, she and the children of the servants would lay on pallets at night to star gaze in the safety of the great walls. She and Nela would dance on the marble floor watching the three moons. They dreamed of travelling among the stars and visiting the worlds that inhabited the universe. That idea had certainly lost its wonder. Until her kidnapping, K'Nar and her friends were blissfully unaware evil existed among those stars.

K'Nar realised that her mind had started to wander, and she renewed her focus on what was crucial now. Finding out what happened to the Young Lord. By the time she reached her parents' massive wooden doors, she was centered back on her mother's call. She traced her fingers across the carvings of her entire family lineage and found the names of her parents. She smiled when she laid her forehead gently against their names as she mentally asked permission to enter her mother's chambers.

_Enter, my Child_.

_Yes, my Mother._

K'Nar stood back and waited for the great door to open. It required all her control to enter the chambers and follow proper protocol. She dropped to her knees, touched her forehead to the floor and waited to be recognized. After a gentle mental prod, she rose to her feet to face her mother.

G'Na Llew, Queen of the Vshak stood slightly taller than five feet tall. Willowy and delicate, her blue skin shimmered with a silver aura. Long black hair streaked with grey hung in waves down her back. Her still beautiful face bore the gentle lines of wisdom and authority. Deep purple eyes shone with love for her only child.

_May I speak, my Mother?_

_You do realise, my Child, you will need to use our form of communication eventually?_

_Yes, Mother, but may I speak now_?" she whined.

A frustrated sigh later, _"Yes, my Child, you may speak."_

Only the mind blind used verbal communication. It was frustrating that her daughter had such difficulty. It hurt that she feared letting her shields down even with her mother. A mother shouldn't have to make inquiries to a handmaiden.

"Have you heard something? Have you word of the Young Lord?" K'Nar barely contained her excitement that they might have learnt something.

"K'Nar, why are our rules for entering another's mind so strict?" the Queen asked, gently ignoring her daughter's question.

K'Nar drew a breath. This was not what she had expected.

K'Nar dropped her head to her chest and swallowed her sobs. "To enter another's mind to force your will is the deepest degradation to another's spirit. It robs them of their free will, and the right to fulfil their destiny. But, Mother?"

The Queen raised her hand to silence her daughter. Her heart clinched at the expression of pain on K'Nar's young face. She wished that she could have stopped Varak and the criminals who had inflicted so much pain on her beautiful daughter. She desperately wished that she could throw a life time of peace away to make them pay. Her husband certainly would make the Betrayer pay.

"K'Nar, when we took you from that place, the authorities were very clear that if it were not for you, the man known as the Doctor would have died. You saved his life. You told us about strengthening his shields and helping him control his fear and his pain. You told us that you entered the minds of others to get him food, a bed, and a way out of there. Is there something you - forgot to tell us?"

K'Nar's head snapped up to meet her mother's gaze. "Mother, I..." She knew.

"I hear him call, Mother. At night, in my dreams, I hear him call. He's alone and hurting. I fear for him, Mother."

"My beloved child, that's not possible. Only a ..." A moment of clarity struck the Queen. She didn't how no-one realised it before. Placing her fingers at K'Nar's temples, she demanded entrance to her child's mind. K'Nar couldn't refuse.

"Oh, my daughter, what have you done?" G'Na stroked her daughter's head.

"Mother, they were killing him. I just wanted him to be safe, to hide." K'Nar collapsed into her mother's arms.

The Queen drew a breath and changed her focus. "What made you think you could trick his body and his mind to believe that he was something that he was not?"

"Mother," K'Nar sobbed, "he wanted to go to his new home..."

"If he lived on this planet -"

"Earth, it's called Earth."

"If he lived on Earth, didn't you think that he would know how to adapt?" Despite knowing the answer, she asked the next question. She needed her daughter to finally share what she'd done to the Time Lord. "Tell me what you did, exactly, what did you see in his mind."

"I helped him keep his energy up. He was exhausted and so weak that he appeared to me as a child - hiding in his mind, so -I gave him a balloon filled with energy, like they taught us in class. But every time they sent me to him, he was weaker. His agony just grew worse until he thought he would tell his secrets. He begged me to help hide his ship from the Mistress. His shields became so weak that his memories played out like a holographic vid. I saw all his faces, and then I saw his secret name. He said it was only for his bondmate. I tried not to look."

"But you saw it?"

K'Nar nodded at her mother.

"What else did you do?" The Queen prodded gently.

"He was heartbreakingly lonely. I decided that we would go to Earth, so I hid everything that would keep him from hiding safely. I stopped the energy flow to anything that showed him, not human. He would think that he was a human, and I would pretend, and then we would make friends so he wouldn't be lonely. Any human who found us would believe that he just had anomalies like Nela or Zedra. I would be with him, to protect him. When he was well; we'd come home." K'Nar sobbed. " But I couldn't get the transformation bracelet off, and then we were attacked."

The Queen closed her eyes as she snuggled her daughter closer. "Did his mental energy touch you?"

"Only when I secured his ship. I hid its name and location. But then door opened, and - it sang. It sang this ... I don't know what it was, but I went in. It was just - remarkable, so full of energy and so alive." Her voice reflected the awe she'd felt when she saw his ship.

"Child, we have a mess. When you saw the ship with its doors closed, it was just that-a plea from him to help save it. But then it opened and invited you in. That was his unconscious desire to share more with you. That opened ship represented his soul. He must have been in such incredible pain to let his barriers down like that. I have no idea how to tell your father."

"Oh, child, you do now realise, don't you?"

K'Nar stared blankly at her mother.

"Sweetheart, in this universe, history tells us of two races of brilliant telepaths. The first came from Gallifrey, and the second are the Vshak. I have never met a time lord. Legend says the planet is gone."

"Mother?"

"The Queen shook her head, " My research suggests that he is a brilliant touch telepath. Legends tell us that, as a race, the Time Lords were the only beings who equalled us in power. You are the most impressive Vshakian telepath that I have ever met. You have wiped the memories and tricked the body of the last time lord in the universe. When you did, it took away his ability to control what he sees and hears. His shields are gone, so he cannot control his memories or keep his mind from intrusion. In the midst of doing all of that, you initiated a marriage bond. You are bonded, heart and soul, to the man."

"Mother, I never! He never!" K'Nar pulled away in disgust and began sobbing in earnest.

"Shush now. That is what has happened, my darling daughter. All of time runs through his brain. Evidently, he is drowning in the emotions of those around him. The information his brain normally would screen and then files away is overloading him, causing unbearable suffering. On top of all that when you changed him, you took away his ability to fight disease. He is not only hurt, but extremely ill, and - it seems he is mourning the loss of a mate that he doesn't even know he has.

The Queen rocked her sobbing daughter. It was the first time since she had come home that K'Nar truly cried. "and you are doing the same. That is why you have such nightmares. It's also why, whether you knew it or not, you have refused to communicate telepathically. If you had let those stubborn shields down even a little, your father and I would have known what happened."

The Queen let out a mirthless chuckle. "My brilliant, beautiful daughter, you tried to save the Doctor's world, but you have created a disaster for both of you. This is a - - royal mess."

She held her sobbing child until K'Nar sobs gave way to shuddering breaths. She lifted K'Nar's tear stained face to meet hers and scanned her mind and flooded her with love and peace.. Finally, she sighed and continued.

"The Shadow Proclamation has contacted us. As soon as the two of us have explained all of this to your father, we are returning to Regulus IV. We will go with his friends to this Earth and try to help. If we do not, he will either go mad or die, and the universe will lose one its most precious gifts. It's our responsibility to see that does not happen."

"Mother, please," she begged. "Please let me go to him. Please, Mother. I have to see him." She sobbed against her mother's chest.

"You are going, but," the Queen said firmly, "you must follow my directions. The first step will be to convince him that you are alive, and then we must break the marriage bond. Only then can we begin the healing process for both of you. Now, dry your tears and go get ready. It is a long three day journey to Regulus. Make sure you bring your books. Your father will not be pleased as it is. If we further neglect your studies, he will really be angry." She laughed softly.


	34. Chapter 34 The Hunt

Control.

Control and smug smiles of accomplishment were written on both their faces as River and Jack left through the side door of Borel's Justice Centre and headed for the alley where they'd left the TARDIS. The two made the short trip to the TARDIS in silence saving their comments until they were safely inside the ship. They rounded the corner and entered the barely lit narrow alley. The TARDIS stood in the shadows well hidden from prying eyes. River slid her key into the TARDIS' lock, she stole a look at Jack's ice blue eyes. It was all she needed to see that his rage, while not gone, was certainly tempered. For the first time in days, an actual smile made it all the way to his eyes. Her own broadened.

"NaV0 looked damn good in chains, didn't she?" River asked as they walked through the door."

"Yep, the woman has signed her own death warrant. I haven't had that much pleasure since ... Well, since the last time Ianto and I played hide and seek with the stopwatch," Jack replied with a smirk.

"I told you, my magic elixir is wonderful stuff," River laughed. "And she told everything that she knew just to sniff the small bottle. " River crossed the gangplank to the console with a small sense of satisfaction.

She strode around the console, unaware that Jack hadn't followed her. She trailed her fingers on the edge until she reached the Helmic orienteers and the dematerialising lever. For just a moment, her hand hovered before she put the ship into the vortex.

"Talk to me, River." Jack stood in the center of the control room; his smile was gone.

"What?" Her head came up, and she met his gaze. For a moment, her expression clouded, but then her usual cryptic smile returned. She looked at Jack standing there with his legs apart and his arms crossed, looking - - authoritative. She couldn't help the snort.

"Tell me what she said before I walked back in the room. What exactly did you leave out? I want to know what else is going on." Jack insisted.

Coming from behind the rotor, River's smile faded as she faced him. So much for the momentary joy. For a moment, she traced the edge of the zig-zag plotter, gathering her thoughts, before she answered. "You know how to take the fun out of success don't you?"

"Only when I am on the short end of knowing what's going on. I don't like surprises. If we're doing this together, I want to know what else to expect."

"How much have you been off-world in the last two or three years, Jack?"

Caught off-guard by the question, Jack walked across the control room to where River stood. "I haven't been off-world since - well, I guess not since..." His voice trailed as the memories of the past few years flashed. "We've been busy. What's that got to do with anything?"

River nodded and let out a mirthless chuckle. "In the last ten years, I'd have to say, I hardly ever visit Earth. He and I keep meeting all back to front on one adventure or another that suddenly started taking me back to the 21st century, Great Britain. " River knew she was rambling a bit and hoped Jack would understand. "Whenever I get into trouble or need him, I just send a message, and he always comes. Two years ago, for me, a rumour started circulating that a religious group who called themselves the Silents had affiliated with a rogue branch of the Anglican Church's military wing. They ..." River stopped. "I need tea to wash out the taste of H'Tarle's booze."

Confused, Jack was three steps behind.

Jack leaned against the galley's counter as River fixed the tea, waiting for an answer. When she finally handed him a cup she drew a breath and started again.

"The rumour was simple; the silence will fall meaning, I guess, the universe will come to an end. The religious order somehow thinks if they destroy the Doctor, this so-called prophecy will go away.

"That's the group that you keep saying manipulated this mess. If you knew who they were why didn't you say?"

"Because I didn't have enough information to say. Still don't. I know that they hired Kovarian and used the Church's army to lure him to Demons Run. Using Amy as bait, they were going to kill him. But you know the idiot; he is not going to just lay down and die. I wasn't there for most of it, but people died to protect Amy and the baby and that fueled his rage. I didn't get there until it was over, but by then he had humiliated the Colonel in charge and Kovarian had escaped with Melody. I have never seen the Doctor so angry. He swore to Amy that he would get her back. He left, and I took Amy and Rory home." River leaned back against her seat.

Jack's face was expressionless and when he didn't speak she continued.

"What NaV0 said was that the good Colonel took exception to being humiliated in front of his troops and from what Rory said, the Doctor took a lot of pleasure in doing it front of Kovarian. So - Manton decided to try to finish the job that Kovarian hired him for. To that end, he hired a Vshak seer named Varak to kidnap K'Nar and NaV0 to kidnap the Doctor. He knew the Doctor would never stop looking for Melody and from what NaV0 said; they planted clues that led him straight to Regulus. The rest you know."

"Why were you in Stormcage when I - liberated you?" Jack asked.

River pulled a face. "I killed a man," she said. "It doesn't matter who."

River felt like a bug under a microscope as Jack studied her face. Without a word he just nodded, turned and walked away. It seemed their minor success with NaV0 was rapidly slipping away. She really didn't quite get this man who now hunted with her. There was no doubt that Jack was conflicted.

River knew that he was heading straight for the bottle of hypervodka that he'd left in the library. She waited a few minutes and then followed, and found him standing in front of the fireplace sipping his drink. The only light in the dark room came from holographic flames that cast dancing shadows across him, adding to the feeling of darkness that seemed to settle in him. He cursed between each swallow of the burning liquid. From the look on his face, she knew that he was seeing the videos playing in his head, just as they did in hers.

"Who did you kill?" he asked without turning around.

"It doesn't matter; it has nothing to do with this."

"It does matter; I need to know that I can trust you." He poured another swig of the hypervodka.

"You can, Jack. Just like I have to trust you. I would never knowingly do anything to hurt him." River swallowed, "I have learnt that you wouldn't. Besides, Jack, we're the only ones here - unless you want to go home now."

Jack smirked. "Right - I don't think so." He filled a second glass and handed it to her as he spoke, "Who is this Colonel?"

"Horatio Manton. I thought that we'd start the hunt where this all started."

Jack nodded his agreement. "You do realise, " Jack drew a breath before speaking, "if we find the son of a ... he might not survive to see a courtroom."

" I know," River answered coldly.

" They keep on wanting to destroy him. Time Lord or not, he's still just one man. Why can't they just leave him alone?" Fuelled by hypervodka, the question was rhetorical

River snorted. "One man who insists on bolloxing up the plans of other people."

Jack stared into the flames. When he finally spoke, he sounded hurt and angry . "I have loved that skinny git since he pulled me off a stupid little Chula ship. Why didn't he come back after he regenerated? After everything that happened, every thing that we went through you'd think that he would know that he could trust me. I don't understand why he didn't at least give me the chance to help. "

River laid a hand on Jack's arm. "Maybe - he wanted you to keep safe the one thing that he didn't have."

Jack huffed. " What ?"

"The one thing that he has always denied himself, Jack. A life. You have a home and a life. He thinks that he messed it up with Amy and Rory, and he couldn't chance doing it again with you."

Jack snorted as he tossed down the last of his drink. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

o0o

The TARDIS materialised soundlessly inside a cupboard in the crew quarters on Demons Run. River chuckled at Jack's expression as he felt the soft landing without the usual whine of screeching brakes.

"He always leaves the brakes on," she answered his unasked question.

River brought them five seconds out of sync with the time line flowing around them. The manoeuvre left them able to move unnoticed around the base. A sea of troops stepped around them as if they were avoiding a cold spot. River chuckled when she heard a trooper remark that he felt as if a ghost had brushed up against him. Jack grinned admiringly at the passing young soldier.

"Do you look at everything with legs," River frowned. "I mean, really, Jack; time and place."

"I can focus on more than one thing at a time," he replied with a grin. "Which way?"

"Follow me," she said after scanning the hallway. The two moved away from the troops gathering in the bay. In less than ten minutes, all hell would break out there and River had no interest in crossing the time line or seeing Amy's grief again. Once was enough. She also had no intention of letting Jack know that she was Melody. They needed to get in and out quickly to avoid the entire beginning of a nightmare.

They arrived at the officer's quarters and watched as Manton exited his room to join his men for the gathering in the bay. He swaggered past, looking very much like a man who had already won a great battle. For Jack; his enemy now had a face. The two swallowed hard knowing there was nothing they could do to stop what was now a fixed point. They, however, could make Manton pay.

"Come on." River tugged Jack toward Manton's quarters. They had just minutes now. They had to be off this rock before Manton began his speech and the Doctor made his appearance known. It was hard to ignore what was about to happen. "Can you find something with his DNA, the TARDIS can use it to track Manton later? I'm going to try to find the codes for the Papal Mainframe. Our answers are in there."

It took Jack just seconds to find what they needed a discarded sweaty face flannel. River only needed a minute. Manton hadn't bothered to bury the codes. The hubris of the man amazed her. A minute later she grabbed Jack, and the two raced for the TARDIS, dematerialising ninety seconds before the Doctor would materialise in his version of reality.

o0o

Three planets and two star bases later, their effort to track Manton brought them to the Galactic warship S. , his next assignment. They materialised the TARDIS inside a troopship's storage area; changed into uniforms and hid in plain sight as they tracked the Colonel's Adjutant.

"Hello, good looking," Jack smirked as the young man came out of the head.

Before the startled young man could respond Jack slammed him into the bulkhead as the vortex manipulator flared and then flared again.

"You have one chance to stay in one piece, Cleric Thomas !" Jack slammed the young man for the third time into a bulkhead. He bounced back off the wall into Jack's arms. " I can keep this up all night, it's sort of fun actually. I haven't done this in a while; brings back old memories," he said to the terrified young man.

"I don't know why they pulled him off the ship," the young cleric begged.

"You see the weapon holstered on that woman's hip," Jack snarled as he slammed the cleric against the wall leaving him quaking in fear. "It's a typical phase pistol. Lowest setting knocks you on your arse. The highest - well, I'm sure you can imagine. Now the one in her hand is - what is it, Miss..."

"1875 Earth Colt 44, Sweetie." River's cold smile matched the coldness in her sultry voice.

"Yeah, has real projectiles, called bullets. There are six shots. First, your foot, then your knee, then your shoulder so and so forth. The pain is - agonizing. And you want to know the best part," Jack snarled, "we're three minutes out of synch with the rest of this base. By the time your mates find you, we will be gone, and you - my friend, will not remember a thing. Now - where the hell is Manton?"

"Sweetie, really. He can do this all night. It is much easier to tell us where the bloody hell Colonel Manton is? The duty roster says this is his next assignment ! Our scans say he was here twenty-four hours ago," River spoke quietly, but forcefully as she aimed her blaster slightly above his head.

" I don't... " Sparks flew above his head ending his answer.

Jack smiled as both men watched River casually slid the blaster into the holster on her left hip. Her movement was almost sensuous when she drew the Colt 44, taking great care as she aimed the weapon at the cleric's boot . " Enough ! Now, gentlemen, that I have your undivided attention: toe first, then left foot. Where is Manton ?"

"The Church sent him to Vetra." The man's words came out in a torrent as the bullet tore a hole into the floor plating. "They said he was too hot and reckless to continue here. He's been reassigned to deal with just the Doctor's case. They gave him five men . That's all I know. I swear; that's all I know."

"Vetra ?" River asked.

"Yes, Vetra: I swear to the Papal Mainframe. "

"Good. Know this, Cleric; if we hear even a whisper that you have mentioned this conversation to anyone, dead or alive, we will back ten minutes before we had this talk. I will eliminate you from the pool of clerics for all time. Do you understand me ?!" River snarled.

"Yes, yes I understand. Just so you know," the man answered defensively. "a whole platoon has gone AWOL since Demons Run. Messing with the Doctor was one thing, but a lot of them protested kidnapping a baby. I swear: I don't know anything else."

River nodded to Jack, and a burst of light flared twice more, the last set them outside the TARDIS.

o0o

Jack and River moved through the dark, fog-bound streets of the city of Abak the capital of Nebkia. Ahead somewhere of them three members of Manton's team were heading for the government buildings in the heart of the city. Jack stayed in front of River as they tracked the two. This was the closest they'd managed to make to Manton or his team since leaving the Granstaff. They were both tired and ready to get back to the hospital. Neither had expected Manton and his little gang to jump so many time streams in an effort to lay false evidence against the Doctor. This was their third trip to the 43rd century.

A noise in an alley just thirty feet from them slowed their pace as the eased to the entrance. Two men stood talking to guard at the rear doors of the judicial centre. Jack motioned River to cross to the other side of the alley. They both inhaled sharply when one of the men turned around. Rage coursed through both when the saw the face of one of the men intent on giving directions to his companions. The bloody bugger were impersonating Doctor. Without thinking, River drew her phase pistol and was ready to fire when Jack shook his head. They watched a minute longer as the three men made their way in to the building. Jack and River followed, watching the men line the hall with sonic bombs until Jack finally stepped out of the shadows with his Webley pointed at the bomber's head.

" I would think very carefully about what you are doing because I will blow your head off if you choose to continue. And while I'm shooting you, my friend will take out your friends. "

"You can't shoot me, I'm the Doctor, " The skinny man with a tweed jacket and bow-tie sneered.

" Yeah, well, I'll shoot you first, and then we'll see what happens next, won't we. "

The three men backed away from the bombs. " You, pick up your communicator and get the law here - now!" River snarled at the guard.

She walked up to the man in disquise, tapped his chest with her gun as she ripped the bow tie off. "Who are you?" she asked while she ran the scanner over him looking for a perception filter.

"Who I am is none of your business. You only need to know I work for the Church," he replied with a snarl.

"Not any more," she snarled as the sounds of approaching sirens filled the night air. She found the device and snatched it from under his shirt. and "Nebkia doesn't like outsiders messing with the government." She smiled coldly at the small waspish man who stood before. "They usually find very painful ways to obliterate you."

o0o

"Did you call Martha?" River asked as she came out of her room with a towel wrapped around her wet head.

"Yeah, they want to know when we're getting back." Jack swallowed a mouthful of coffee. "God, I miss Ianto. The silly Welshman is an artist with a pot of coffee."

"How is he?" Her voice trembled a bit. "Does she still have him drugged?"

"Yeah, she said he was still having spikes on the EEG, so she increased the drug to deepen the coma. She thinks the episode was caused by a lack of artron energy causing a seizure kinda thing. It wasn't me after all." Jack chuckled nervously. "One more reason to wrap this up."

"What does that mean," she answered worriedly, "is he okay? Jack?"

"I think for now, he is okay, River." He rose to hug her. "I think you need some sleep and then we need to find that son-of ... we need to find Manton. I must be tired, I keep wanting to use bad language. Normally keep a tight rein on that sort of thing." He chuckled.

"Yeah, me too. Give me four hours and then..." River answered in a low voice.

o0o

Vectra 2, New Aglish, VOna6, and five other planets and starbases all followed Vetra and Nebkia. What started as a hunt for Manton was ending up a race to destroy his band of merry men's attempt to alter timelines involving the Doctor. It was as if some force continuously kept that man out of their hands. The TARDIS couldn't seem to lock on to his position with the dead on accuracy they needed, leaving Jack and River to either stop his band of merry men or undo what they had done. By their third miss, they realised the TARDIS was deliberately bringing them to places where timelines needed to be fixed. This place was eleven. Jack couldn't help but think that it was a sign. Eleven for eleven.

Jack scrambled around the debris of what only minutes before had been a building. He cleared the edge of the rubble looking for River. Manton had come running out of the building seconds before. Jack caught a glimpse of River coming out an emergency exit, and then he lost her at the edge of the building as it went up. As the dust cloud settled, sirens filled the air covering the sound of Jack screaming River's name. He pushed through the crowd, terrified that she was hurt or worse. Then he saw her, obviously shaken- sitting on a boulder covered with grey dust. He wasn't sure whether to grab her up and kiss her or smack her.

"Are you alright?" he shouted with relief as he grabbed her up into his arms.

He cupped her face in his hands. The mistrust between them fled replaced by gratitude that she was still alive. River collapsed against Jack. He felt her heart pound against his chest as she coughed from the dust till floating in the air. When she finally could breathe and talk at the same time, she pulled back and flashed him a tired smile.

"Believe it or not, he had nothing to do with this one," she said. Her voice was still raw from coughing. "He used the political upheaval in this place to cover the use of a computer. He sent a message to the Papal mainframe. I tapped into it, and found what he was doing. The next thing, I know, people are running, and I'm getting shoved out the door one way with Manton getting shoved the other.

"Did you find anything out before all hell broke loose?" Jack asked with a breathy chuckle. He slipped his arm around her waist to keep her steady.

"Manton's retiring. It seems; all this intrigue has tired him out. He submitted his papers. I think the old girl will track him now." She laughed nervously.

River sounded as tired as Jack knew that she felt. He tightened his grip to support her as the adrenaline rush eased and she began to shake. Jack pushed their way through the throng of people to make their way back to the TARDIS. The further they walked the more River limped. Jack kept his grip firm as they finally made their way into the TARDIS. River limped up the gangplank and across to the console. Filth from the blast covered both of them. Seconds later, she had the ship in the vortex.

"Come on Curly tops," Jack teased, "Let's get you to the med-bay and look at the ankle. Your limp is getting worse."

"So," River started as they limped down the hallway, "The next part should be easy. The old girl will take us right to him now."

"You think," Jack chuckled dryly, "she's spent the last eight weeks sending us on rectifying missions. Now... Now she wants her revenge."

Jack helped River on to a med-bay exam table and ran a scan of her ankle. "Just a sprain. You want something before I pull your boot off."

River shook her head.

"Okay it's," he answered as he unlaced her boot, "gonna hurt a bit." He looked up to see the grimaces on her face as she clinched her jaws against the pain of her foot getting flexed. The boot had protected her from a bad break. "Sure you don't want something?" He reached for the tissue regenerator and strapped it to her ankle. It'll take an hour, why don't you lay down."

"Yeah, maybe for a while and then a good swim." River winced as she swung her leg up on the bed and punched the remote to raise her head.

"I think we need a spot of tea," Jack said as he stuck a pillow under her foot.

Jack stopped at the door and looked at River lying quietly on the bed. She looked pale and drawn under all the smudged dirt on her face. She'd laid her arm across her eyes in a vain effort to lock the light. Jack whispered a request to the ship to drop the lights. He barely heard her mutter thanks as he turned and headed for the galley. The ship stretched his walk giving him the time that he needed to think. He had to tell her. There really was no choice.

There was no real reason to be ashamed of what he was. It was just not something he ever talked about. Usually, in any given generation, he managed to keep his secret limited to five or six people who usually wound up dead before he had to tell someone new. He'd just hoped to get through this without telling anyone. So far they had managed to keep the upper hand in their confrontations, but the explosion was a reminder that not everything could be controlled. River getting herself killed while they were supposed to be floating in the vortex waiting for a call didn't seem such a brilliant idea.

Ten minutes later, he was back with two cups of steaming tea. "We need to talk." Jack started as he handed her the cup of hot liquid.

"What about?" She flashed a tired smile at him.

Jack pulled up a chair and drew a breath. "A lifetime ... lifetimes ago, I met the Doctor in 1943 during an air raid over London. It was his ninth regeneration, and he was with the most adorable -"

"Rose Tyler." River smiled tightly.

"She was hanging - -"

"From a barrage balloon." She chuckled.

"Whose telling this story?" He chuckled softly. "Did he tell you this?

"I knew you travelled with him, and I knew you ran Torchwood. And yes, I knew about Rose.

"What else do you know about me?" Jack asked softly.

"He doesn't talk about you, Jack? Why? What happened between the two of you?"

Jack looked away for a second, and then met her green eyes. Slowly, the words came as he told the story of his immortality. For once, he noted, she didn't have a witty comeback.

" Did you really want to slug him when you found out about what happened ?" She asked after he finished.

"Oh yeah. Didn't get the chance though, until after I spent a hundred years waiting for him in Cardiff. I mean Cardiff - at the turn of the twentieth century; it wasn't that great," he said. "And then when he did show up, I had to cling to the outside of the TARDIS as it went through the vortex. End of the universe ; end of time. I don't want to live long enough to see it again. "

"Was he at least glad to see you ?" River asked.

" No, but I met Martha and then things got very busy, very fast. The conversation came up when I was trying to release some frozen nuclear cylinders to start up a spaceship's engines. He was just so damn smug about it. You are an impossible thing, Jack. It was a long time before I knew that he nearly died from regeneration sickness after Game Station. Rose told me about Christmas day and how sick he was. We never told her what she had done."

"He wouldn't go back after ?"

"No, he was a real stickler for not crossing back on his own time line. As an ex-time agent, I understood - - after a while. "

"What about Rose ? Didn't you resent her for what she did ?"

"For a little while, yeah but, not for long. I loved that kid. She did what she did out of love. I went back when she was growing you know, just to see her," he inhaled sharply, "What about you , River? You have to be more careful. We can't have you blown up when we're supposed to be sitting up here waiting for a call."

"Yeah, I guess it is time to find Manton and leave Varak for another time. I hate letting K'nar's kidnapper go, though."

"We'll get the slime bucket, I promise. Now, I told you, mine; how about yours? How did you meet him ?"

River dropped her head a bit remembering Berlin and lied. " Same way most people do, I suppose. He dropped into my life out of nowhere. He showed up at a museum opening for a dig that I had just finished. It's how he keeps score, you now. He came to tell me that I was wrong. " River laughed.

Jack grunted. "That I can believe, I don't care what his face looks like, sometimes he is a smug, self-righteous bastard."

"Yes, but I love him," River said tenderly.

"Yeah, know what you mean. "

The two grew silent for several minutes lost in their own memories and then without realising how, Jack began talking about things he hadn't even told Ianto. The gory details started over tea. He stopped mid-word and walked away. The look of grief and anger etched in his features was enough to tell her not to follow.

Ten minutes later Jack walked back in, set two glasses on the table and filled them with hypervodka. "What did the Doctor tell you about the Valiant?"

"Not much. He only told me that after it was over, he wound up alone for awhile. I know that what hurt the most came after he fought the Daleks and saved the planets. When it was over, I know that he really wanted you to come, but you didn't. He never said why."

"Sometimes ... I wish that I had River. I wish that I had," he murmured softly as he swallowed the vodka. The more he poured out his personal horror stories, the drunker he got. River listened, not bothering to contain the tears as they sat long past the tissue generator clicked off and talked.

o0o

The Church and the Silence planted Manton almost one thousand years out from Demons Run on Hysperus. The TARDIS had no difficulty finding her target. She materialised in a small grove of fruit trees less than 100 yards from a simple two-story house on the outskirts of Capitol city. The year was 5310, one thousand, one hundred years from Demons Run.

The house had a lovely garden. Manton apparently enjoyed growing flowers. River stopped long enough to smell their fragrance. They remained unnoticed thanks to their perception filters as the settled in to watch the house. They arrived midmorning to the source of their hatred puttering around his garden. They spent the next two hours, bored, watching the seemingly nice old man chat up the neighbours while he trimmed his flowers. Jack wondered what lies the man told about his life. By dusk, River and Jack had grown restless.

Shortly after darkness descended, they perked up as Manton came out of the house, stood at the edge of his garden waiting. The man River and Jack watched was not the same man who came swaggering out of his quarters on Demons Run. Bent by age, this man now had to use a cane for support. His eyes were as sharp as ever, but ... he was old. It was the first time Jack had ever gone after an old man. He was a little surprised there were still firsts left for him. Five minutes after he walked out of the house, a hover transport settled down in front of the house and the old man boarded. Jack keyed River's manipulator to track the transport's signal, smiled goodbye and jumped to the source of the signal.

River waited until dusk settled into a moonless night with just a slight chill in the air. Even with her perception filter protecting her, she avoided the street lamps as she made her way around to the generator powering a protective forcefield around the house. She pulled out the Doctor's sonic screwdriver; disabled the shield and headed for the house. A small security camera at the corner of the house followed next as she made her way yo the back door and disabled the house lock. She stepped into the dark house using the sonic as a torch, made her way through the kitchen into the lounge. The Colonel was still a soldier with a soldier's need for neatness and organisation. River whistled at the intricate holographic computer system that sat in the corner of the lounge. She dialled the sonic and penetrated the supposedly secure, state of the art system.

Her silly alien should have never spent the first night of their marriage teaching her the device's true intricacies. She really did need to remember to be surprised when that happened for him. In less than a minute, she pulled up the files she wanted. The old man had kept records of everything, including his payments to NaV0. He detailed exactly what he wanted done, from stealing the TARDIS to various tactics to break the Doctor. As River read the details, she knew she could never let Jack see the files. They not only showed her face and her true identity, but the information could ignite a war, led by the one man who could equal her in creative revenge. There was even speculation that the Face of Boe started out as a man named Jack Harkness. While that idea was laughable, the hint could change Jack's destiny.

She found a file labelled Vshakian traitor . Varak put a wrench in the Silence's plan to murder the Doctor. His prediction about a new race of Time Lords rising out of the dust must have really spooked the Church and its minions. They spent all that time and effort to train a weapon only to discover River would not only marry him, but bear his children. Determined to prevent that time line from ever happening, the Church ordered Manton to make sure the original plan succeeded. Eliminating him too soon would lead to too many other changes, resulting in chaos for the universe. Breaking him into a simpering thing that she would have no interest in, would make it so much easier to kill him. Two time lines would thus be destroyed leaving the Silence to rule the universe. That was their plan, and River would make sure that it failed.

The download finished, River reset the data time, and slipped the data chip in her pocket. The precious chip contained a list of every event Manton had manipulated since before her birth. A few were now fixed points in time, but the others... The other she would fix. For now; she slipped out of the house, reset the camera and security field, and then stepped back in the shadows to wait for Jack.

Two hours later, the old man was back. Jack slid up next to her so quietly that she jumped and hit his arm.

" He's an old man. He eats slowly. " He laughed in mock defence. " What did you find out ?"

"He paid for it all." River's voice dripped with hatred. " Seems he didn't think Kovarian was thorough enough, and decided to alter things on his own. He found out the Doctor was hunting for Melody and used a time jumper to go back to Demons Run. He paid the Continuum to lay traps and to spy for Kovarian. He paid NaV0 to destroy the Doctor any way she wanted, but she couldn't kill him. He also paid Varak to kidnap K'Nar. He knew how powerful a telepath she was and wanted to use her to break the Doctor's shields. I guess he didn't plan on her being such a smart little kid. " She left out details that Jack didn't to need know. Like babies and her involvement in the Doctor's death.

Jack breathed deep. " Why ? This makes no sense."

"Do they ever make sense?

Jack chuckled. "No, I guess they don't."

The two stayed quiet as they stood in the chilly air waiting for the lights to go out and for the old man time to go to sleep. When the house had been dark for an hour they made their way back to the perimeter of the house. River loved the look on Jack's face as she disabled the security field for the second time. " I retrieved it from the compound, did I forget to mention ?"

Jack scanned the interior of the house as they made their way around to the side of the house to the door. They needed him vulnerable. The old soldier was asleep in the upstairs bedroom on the left. Jack eased through the door first keeping River behind him. He had no intention of letting her in front. Motioning for her to stay low and behind him, the two made their way up the stairs to the Colonel's bedroom. Asleep, he looked frail. That didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.

Jack eased his way up to the bed and very slowly placed his gun to the man's chest and tapped lightly. Manton's eyes flew open; shocked to see a stranger standing over him with a weapon pointed at him.

"Hello Colonel, my name is Captain Jack Harkness, and you - - Sir, have hurt a friend of mine. Now, I'd like to suggest you get up very slowly and meet another friend. She is a little cross with you and would like a word. "

Manton sat up. " This is not possible, you're in prison. " He sputtered as River stepped into view.

" One would think that, wouldn't they, Colonel. I have one question. Why ?"

The speed Manton used to reach for the weapon under his head, startled both of them. River jumped as a weapon came up pointed at Jack and went off. Jack pulled the trigger as a bullet tore into his chest.

River couldn't stifle the scream that ripped from her throat. Jack blinked at her as a slow grin spread across his face.

" Wait, " was all he said as he crumpled to the ground.

Thankful that the security field contained the sound of the shots and her own scream ; she was on the floor with his head in her lap, seconds later. This was not supposed to happen. How could he not breathe?

Two minutes passed in unendurable silence. How long was she supposed to wait ? Three minutes passed. River had no idea how to get him back to the TARDIS. Maybe she should leave him and bring the TARDIS here. She lifted his head to get up when he bolted upright, sucking in a lung full of air.

"Damn, that never stops hurting. " He glanced up at River's gobsmacked expression and grinned. " Well that didn't exactly go as planned. Let's get the hell out of here. "


	35. Chapter 35 Lets Get Our Princess

"Go through his pants pockets and get his money, credit stick, whatever you can find," Jack ordered a stunned River.

"What?" River stood in the middle of the floor in shock staring in disbelief at Jack buzzing around the room.

"We need this to look like a robbery. Make sure the system looks like he forgot to turn it on when he came home." Leaving Manton where he laid crumpled in the bed, Jack moved quickly to rifle through the old man's belongs. He stuffed what jewellery the old man had in his pockets

"River," Jack hissed. "Snap out of it."

"Right." She shook her head and moved to help arrange the scene of a break in.

She smacked the wall in frustration and turned toward Jack. "I needed to interrogate him, to find out what else he knew, Jack."

"Yeah," Jack answered as he dumped a drawer of underwear on the floor, "he grabbed the gun, River. Have to say, I underestimated how fast that an old man could move." He stood with his hands on his hips.

She glared first at Jack and then the dead man on the bed. Hatred well from deep within her. "Bloody bastard took his dirty secrets to hell with him. Come on that's enough, we need to knock stuff over in the lounge. I'll reset the system's time once we're out.

"Good," Jack glanced around the room. "Not overdone."

"Done this before, have you; arrange murder scenes?" River glared at him.

"A time or two. I usually lead the clean up."

The two headed out stopping long enough to reset the alarm's codes and time. When the local constabulary arrived, it would look an old man forgot to set his security system.

River rushed into the control room, put the TARDIS into the vortex, and stormed off for parts unknown into the depths of the ship, leaving Jack standing by the console. Other than a few choice words of profanity informing him where he could stick his immortality, she had said nothing since leaving Manton's house. He inhaled sharply as he watched the curly-haired woman rapidly disappear.

"Blew that one, huh, old girl," he murmured to the ship. "Must be getting careless in my old age."

He scratched the now healed spot where the bullet tore into his chest. The blood on his skin had dried, and was beginning to itch, prompting the need for a hot shower. If nothing else, he thought as he walked to his room, we accomplished most of our objectives, eh. Even if it didn't entirely go according to plan. Getting Varak will have to wait, at least for now.

One thing was certain; this particular mishap needed to be erased from everyone's memory banks, especially the TARDIS'. He knew River would handle the TARDIS without difficulty. He wasn't too sure about River. He wondered what the ramifications were for retconning an angry curly-headed force like River. It didn't work so well with Gwen, and she wasn't nearly as upset as River. He pulled his braces off on the way to his room and started stripping his grimy clothes off the instant the door closed behind him.

The blood soaked shirt was tossed into a corner followed by his tee as he headed for the shower. He dropped heavily into the bedside chair and pulled his boots off followed by his trousers. When he entered the en-suite, he looked at his body in the full length mirror. Dried blood caked his otherwise muscular chest. Jack snorted at his image. _Not bad for an old man,_ he thought. _How many times?_ was his next.

When he stepped into the shower, the force of the steaming water stung his skin, turning it red. A thousand thoughts tumbled inside his head competing for attention. River's angry reaction bothered more than it should leaving him feeling confused and a little angry. Somehow, he expected more of River. It didn't matter that he had seen that same rattled look, in one form or another, hundreds ... thousands of time over the last hundred or so years.

He grabbed the loofah that hung from the shower head, lathered up and began to scrub, abrading his skin in an effort to scrub the stench of Manton off his body. When he felt clean, he stood and let the force of hot water beat down on his back relaxing the tension from his muscles. He grew hard with the memory of Ianto's face their last time in the shower. That- that was a night. With a sad snort, he pushed the memory away. As he sought relief, he missed his partner; more than he had in a long time. His legs trembled with exhaustion when he stepped out of the shower. Without bothering to towel off, he headed for bed where he collapsed to stare at the stars rotating on the ceiling. Eventually, exhaustion took over giving him little choice, but to curl up alone under the duvet and give into the tug of sleep.

Jack woke from a delicious dream disappointed to find the escapade that he'd just enjoyed was entirely just that - a dream. Instead of being wrapped in the arms and legs of his executioner and his mate, he was alone. Several minutes of fantasising grew boring replaced by the call of nature. Unable to ignore the call, he finally groaned his way to the en-suite and a quick shave and shower. The ship's silence was almost deafening. Even the whoosh of the time rotor was absent. The trip through the halls to find River felt like wandering through a medieval maze.

"Come on, Old Girl, I don't like wandering, where is she, eh?" He yelped when the ship responded to his request with a sharp pain followed by an unpleasant buzzing in his head producing overwhelming dizziness. When he opened his eyes again, the hall had shifted. He wandered through the maze of hallways discovering new rooms, including one that apparently had no gravity. He spent the next hour in a fruitless search for River.

"Alright, I give up, I'm hungry. Can I at least get to the galley," he called out to the ether.

Jack followed the smell of frying bacon around the corner to discover the galley with breakfast already started. He sulked as he walked into the galley and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Thanks," he managed after the third swallow. For the next two days, he hung out in the library sans swimming pool. He understood River's need to be alone, but moving the pool was just downright mean. By tea time on the second day, he asked (actually pleaded) the ship to help find her.

Jack followed the blasts of cold and warm air until he finally found the pool. A smile crept across his face as he watched River moved through the water as graceful as a dolphin, barely leaving a ripple in the surface of the water. The Doc does know how to pick his women, he thought as he whistled at her well proportioned body. She reached the end of the pool, gracefully tucked under the water and came back up, reversing her direction ignoring him altogether.

"Not bad. You look good doing that." Jack walked over and squatted by the edge of the pool. "I know you didn't learn that from him."

River stopped in the middle of the pool, she treaded water keeping her self upright "You find any other reason to get yourself killed?" she asked.

"So you're just going to be snarky, huh" Jack chuckled, "How long do you plan on not talking to me?"

River ignored the question. "When I met you, I knew there was something about you that was different. You asked me why I didn't trust you. This - thing about you - is why. He was right Jack; you are impossible."

"Funny; I seem to remember telling you that," Jack chuckled. "You have secrets, River. We all have secrets. Take the secret about you and the Ponds for instance. Don't you think its hypocritical to be surprised by how mine works? You didn't strike me as the type to go off and sulk for two days."

River swam to the edge of the pool and pulled herself out of the water to sit next to him. "You're right, I did sulk, I'm sorry. I needed time to think, Jack. Not just about you, but - everything. As for my secrets, you're right there too. Spoilers, eh,"

"You're not the only one who worries about timelines, River. I'm an ex Time Agent; I understand. Not to mention getting stuck in the nineteenth century - in Cardiff, for God's sake. Making sure that I never said anything about the future. I had to live through three wars, a trip to America and India, plus cross two centuries just to find him. Did I say - I had to wait in Cardiff. Believe me when I tell you that it wasn't always as charming and beautiful as it is now."

River stared at Jack for a long moment. "I am sorry," she said quietly. "By the way, in case you're wondering; she has altered the records of our stay. When he goes looking - and eventually he will go looking - he won't find anything about our side trips. The records show us making a trip to the Hub and then floating in space doing nothing, but swimming and relaxing while we waited for the Princess."

"So, even the TARDIS keeps secrets." He chuckled. "You ever going to tell me what you downloaded off Manton's files?"

"No, not yet. There is no sense in you worrying over something you can do nothing about. But, I might need your help later."

"I am at your beck-and-call, Doctor Song." Jack winked as he flashed her a seductive grin. River's laughter filled the air.

"Have you called them today?"

"Yeah. He's the same. It seems Annie's boyfriend smacked her around."

River's green eyes flashed with anger. "You're not going to make him disappear are you?" River said.

"No, but that's not a bad idea," Jack laughed. "Hank and Rory took care of him, at least for now. I had Ianto do a little research on her. She's a remarkable kid. Bright, hard working. She had a full scholarship in her pocket until the wanker got her pregnant. She wouldn't have an abortion, so her old man kicked her to the curb forcing her to drop out of school three months before graduation. Her mother only sees her during the day when he is at work or when he's on the road."

"You have got to be kidding! Why would a parent do that?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to take care of it."

"How so?"

He smiled at her sudden look of concern. "Don't worry, I'm not making folks disappear or retconning them, if that's what's got you worried. I'm just making sure she doesn't have to struggle. I don't spend my money on much. The occasional dinner out. I had Yan set up a scholarship for the university of her choice and a tutor to get her ready. He's buying a cottage for her, and when we leave, he'll leave a stipend for a nanny. We're buying the SUV and putting that in her name too. The trust will cover her living expenses until she's truly on her own."

River made little effort to hide her surprise. "Jack, that could take years, why?" she asked, "why are you doing all that?"

Jack scrubbed his hands across his face to hide his emotions. "Rarely, River, do you meet someone who is genuinely kind. That girl is not only kind, but she is bloody brilliant. She figured out in two seconds just how important the stars were to him, and then set out to help him remember. She wrote his name and stuck it up where he could see it and then organised all the pictures on the wall so he could keep track of people."

Jack drew a breath as he wiped his face. "And ... she was the only one who didn't treat me like the enemy. She knew that we'd take him home. She did all that without thinking about what was in it for her. I grant that Hank, Sarah and Nan did the same. They took in a guy with weird biology, no memory and treated him as if he belongs to them, and I'm going to make sure they don't suffer financially from closing the café, but their lives are pretty set. But, Annie? Annie has all that in front of her. Who knows what wonderful things she could contribute to the future. She needs to go to university for herself - and for Emily."

River reached over and laid her hand on Jack's leg. "You are a good soul Jack Harkness. You save the planet every day and never ask what's in it for you."

"Yeah, right. Saving the planet is just a way of staying busy." Jack met River's gaze. "I am not going to let Annie get lost."

"I'm sorry, Jack."

"For what?"

"Not believing that you cared about him. He doesn't talk much about his past selves. Did you know that he keeps a diary? I've read it - well, bits and pieces of it anyway . He skipped a lot about his tenth self. Just wrote bits, like: Koschei died, it was my fault, and: Jack left today, I think, he still hates me. Can't say I blame him." River drew silent as she kicked her feet in the water, staring at the ripples. When she spoke her voice was filled with sorrow. "He suffered so much when he couldn't save Koschei or Donna. The guilt, the grief. His friends weren't there for him. You weren't there for him. I thought you chose the very organisation that tried to destroy him over him."

"I had to; I had to make sure it fulfilled the right mission. So, you know about Donna?"

Yes, told me the story one night after we... Anyway, he told me that she was his best friend."

"Guess I wasn't on that list, huh." Jack flashed her a cheeky grin.

River just smiled back at him. "Spoilers."

"Right, well then; answer this. Who was Koschei?"

"That was the Master's academy name, like Theta is the Doctor's."

"He never called him anything but the Master, and - it did hurt him. He saved the world and lost the last member of his race. I understood then, and I still do. But River," he said defensively, "he didn't come back after we re-aligned the planets. Until this mess, I hadn't seen him. I only knew about his regeneration because I saw him right after he stepped out of the TARDIS with Amy. He looked so bloody young; so different. I went and found Donna's family and talked to her granddad. He told me what happened." Jack drew a deep breath and stood up. "This is getting morose, Curly Tops," he said as he threw a towel at her. "Come on: get dried off. I need a drink."

An hour after their talk, Jack was back in the console listening to River's half of the conversation with Martha. She clutched the receiver to her chest before hanging up. She had tears in her eyes when she saw his questioning expression, "He's still metabolising the drugs too fast, and his scans show almost no arton production. Jack," her voice cracked. "What if we're too late."

Jack walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "He's a tough old bird, It's not too late."

Two months and five days after they ran into the TARDIS, the waiting ended. The TARDIS phone rang during tea. The sound if the alien's clicking voice filled them with relief. Jack dropped the receiver back on it's hook and faced River with a broad grin that lit up his eyes. Without thinking, he grabbed her up and kissed her - hard, leaving her breathless. Expecting a punch, he laughed when she slapped his arm in protest.

"Let's go get our Princess," he said with a cheeky grin still plastered on his face.

o0o

River materialised the time ship just outside the office doors of the Justice Centre one minute after the phone call ended. They stepped out of the ship to a white landscape. In the short time since they'd left Borel winter had set in early. The travellers scampered against blowing snow to reach the warmth of the building to find the front office filled with aliens. The sight of so many blue-skinned individuals brought smiles to both River and Jack's faces. A petite, elegant woman stepped away from the centre of the protective group. A warm smile, and amethyst eyes with silver eyelashes highlighted her pale, blue face. Long black hair streaked with silver cascaded down her back. The belted, ivory gown underneath a furred, heavy brocade cape accentuated her petite frame. Jack doubted that she reached much higher than the middle of his chest. Surrounded by her guards, she defined royalty, yet instead of making people uncomfortable, she exuded peace and calm. The individual who drew the most attention nervously clutched her hand.

H'Tarle beamed at the two humans. "Doctor Song, Captain Harkness, may I present Her Majesty G'Na Llew, Queen of the Vshak and lead Healer of the Healer's Council, and wife to His Majesty King Ntab, ruler of the Vshak."

H ' Tarle took a breath. " And this young lady," sounding like a proud parent, "is her Royal Highness, Princess K ' Nar Llew, future ruler of the Vshak. "

The anxiety and fear so entrenched in their psyches the last few weeks rolled away at the sight the mere sight of the girl. The exhausted, emotionally fragile child they found the night of the raid no longer existed. In her place stood an enchanting, ethereal-looking young lady reminding them more of a fairy princess. Now she was dressed in a silver crêpe gown belted at the waist with a white cord that swirled as she moved. Like her mother, she wore a heavy fur-lined brocade cape pulled snugly around her for warmth. Her long, black braided hair was wrapped around her head, kept in place by tiny sapphire pins. Jack winked at the child who bounced on her toes while waiting for the protocol of royalty to play itself out.

A warm smile played at the corners of the Queen's mouth. When she spoke, her voice was musical. "Captain Harkness, Doctor Song, I am so very happy to meet the people who helped the good Inspector free my daughter. She has told me of your great kindness. Thank you for staying with her for as long as you did. But, weren't there two others?"

"Yes, your Majesty, there are two others. They stayed behind with the Doctor. We thank you for coming to help us." Jack gently clasped her tiny hand.

"You do us a great honour." River shook the Queen's hand. "Thank you for bringing K'Nar."

"Captain, Doctor Song, it is my husband and I who are in your debt. We are very grateful to all of you for saving K'Nar. I am very sorry for the circumstances that have brought us back to this place."

"May we speak to your daughter?" River asked.

"I think, if she doesn't say hello soon, she may explode, don't you? She is quite worried that you are angry with her," the Queen answered with a smile.

River held her arms out to the girl, who immediately rushed for a hug from the older woman.

"I am sorry, my Lady, I'm so sorry. I tried to save them, I did, but I don't know what happened to TBrae and my Lord." K'Nar buried her head against River's chest and sobbed.

River kissed the top of her head as she wrapped her in a gentle hug. "K'Nar, we are so glad that you are okay. The Captain and I both were so worried about you. We know you were only trying to help." River looked up at H'Tarle. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what happened to TBrae."

"She's in a special healing centre." H'tarle answered softly.

K'Nar sobbed. "I failed. I failed them both. I thought ... that I was helping, but I made things worse - for everyone."

"K'Nar," Jack interrupted, "you didn't fail them; the Mistress and the sli... the men who worked for her are responsible for hurting the Doctor and T'brae, not you. You did your very best to keep him alive. You couldn't have stopped what happened." He cupped her chin gently and lifted her face until their eyes met, "You are just a little girl. A very brave, tough little girl. You made a couple of mistakes, but we're going to fix them, yeah?"

"My Lord, I hear him. I didn't mean too. It was an accident."

"I'm sorry, what?" River looked first at Jack then at K'Nar and her mother with a confused look.

"I made a mess of everything - Mother?" The Queen quickly wrapped her distraught daughter in a mental and physical embrace, reminding her that they would fix things.

For a moment, the Queen forgot that humans were, at the best, only mildly telepathic and that these two were totally confused by her daughter. "My daughter is trying to tell you that she hears him call to her. He's in mourning - - for his bond mate."

"Excuse me, what?" Jack asked, sounding confused. "He doesn't have a bond mate."

"K'Nar, go and stand with Nela." The Queen ordered gently. The Queen turned back to face two stunned humans.

"We could not understand why K'Nar was not healing. She suffered nightmares and would not communicate naturally. For us, that means telepathically. She was withdrawn and unhappy about coming home. She wouldn't tell anyone, including her handmaiden, the depths of her sadness. Her father and I - we thought it was the trauma of what happened to her. We knew that she had helped the Doctor and that she was obsessed with his well-being. She kept her shields impenetrable, and until the Shadow Proclamation contacted us, we didn't know what she had done exactly. If we had known, we would have come back immediately."

"Your Majesty, I don't think we understand?" River asked. "You do know that she tried to make him human?"

"Not until we received word from the Shadow Proclamation. Until then, we respected her right to refuse a deep mind probe. When they told us of her efforts to make him human, I made her submit to a scan. I should have done it before but ..." the Queen inhaled sharply before continuing.

"K'Nar tried several times to help him, including trying to help him forget the horrors that she thought were unbearable. She wanted to ease his loneliness. Some part of him desperately wanted someone to hold and love him, probably for a terribly long time, but as most lonely people do, he buried that feeling even from himself. Stripped of everything, when she entered his mind, he responded - strongly. She pulled him away from the oblivion that he was sinking into. To help him with his shields, she sent him, her mental energies, but she didn't put a barrier between herself and him. That was a serious mistake. Their energies blended into one. During her next to last attempt, he asked her to help to save his ship. She overcame his weakened shields and explored his mind. As she did, she heard his mind sing his name to her."

"Oh God," River sank into a chair. "He said it over and over, I call her, and I call her, but she doesn't answer."

The Queen flashed an understanding smile at River knowing that she understood what she was about to say, but Jack's confused expression told her that he did not.

"So what," Jack interrupted, "if she heard his name. She's one up on the rest of us."

"Jack, there is only one time a Time Lord tells another his true name," River started.

"In those moments," the Queen continued, "they bonded - as mates. That last day, when they - hurt him, she tried to make him forget the pain, but their energy blended again as it sang his name and it cemented the bond. Neither knew what had happened. Minutes later, with the bond at its very strongest, the manipulator yanked him away. In his weakened state, it would have left him devastated. When you take everything else into consideration, I am amazed that he survived the neurogenic shock. My daughter suffered, but not as much because her shields were intact."

"Is that why she was hysterical after the raid? We couldn't calm her down; they had to sedate her." Jack dropped on the edge of C'Kuk's desk.

The Queen nodded.

"And, it's why, he wouldn't believe us when we told him that she was alive," River interjected.

The Queen reached for River's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You have to understand how afraid she was of being discovered and sent to jail. Attempting to influence another's mind is a crime on our world," the Queen explained.

"She asked us, if she would go to jail, we thought she was just in shock." River replied.

Jack nodded, numb with the thought of what this meant. "This thing ... it's fixable, right?" Jack asked quietly. "I mean, she's a baby, she can't be bonded..."

"Especially to a Time Lord." River finished dully.

"Yes it's - fixable as you put it. I just don't want you to blame K'Nar."

"We don't blame her for anything. She just did what she had to in order to survive and save a stranger. If it weren't for her, he would be dead." River stood up and looked across the room as she flashed a smile at K'Nar before looking back at the Queen. "May we speak to her again?"

River held her arms out and once more K'Nar rushed to be forgiven. "K'Nar, you - are amazing." River chuckled.

"That's what my Lord said," she snuffled as she leaned her head against River. "Please don't hate me."

"Oh, sweetie, that's not even possible. You are incredibly brave, but you also must remember that you are only thirteen. When this is over, though, you must make me a promise."

"Yes, My Lady."

"Never try to change what a person is again, OK?" River cupped her face. "Helping someone to control their pain is one thing. Changing what they are can kill them. Now, are you ready to help us fix this?"

"My Lady, I will not let him down again. Mother will help. She's the best healer on Vshak. But, what about T'brae?"

"I'll talk to the Inspector." Jack interrupted. "When this is over, and everyone is healthy, I'm taking you to Disneyland. You'll love it. You ready to travel on a very different kind of ship?"

"The TARDIS, My Lord?"

"Yes, on the TARDIS. Are you scared?"

"No, My Lord. I've seen his ship. She is a miracle. I'm not afraid of her." She felt a mental prompting from her mother reminding her to be calm.

"Do we get to look human?" she asked with a shy smile.

"Yes," Jack winked at her. "Yep, just like your young Lord."

Jack turned to her mother. "It's time to go, Your Majesty. H'Tarle, thanks. We'll be back when it's time for the trial. If you need us just contact the TARDIS. I'll get the call no matter where I am."

"Captain, would you take my daughter out? I need to speak to the Inspector - alone," the Queen ordered quietly.

The Queen watched her daughter and entourage leave before turning back to a confused inspector. Her entire expression had changed from a gentle woman to someone battling rage.

"Your Majesty?"

"Who is TBrae, Inspector? I mean, I know that she was in that place and that she befriended my daughter, but who is she?"

H'Tarle inhaled sharply. "She is a pretty, petite human child not much older than K'Nar. Like the rest of the so-called servants that were in that compound, she was kidnapped from her planet and sold into slavery. NaV0 bought her at an auction and transported her to the compound. TBrae hasn't really been able to tell us much about herself, but NaV0 kept perfect records, and we were able to track her family down. Evidently, they belong to a conservative religion of some sort, and they don't want her back because she's..." He hesitated, unsure of how to phrase it to someone as gentle and protected as the Queen.

"She was assaulted and lost her maidenhood." The Queen interjected, her anger barely under control.

"Yes. She was brutally assaulted several times on that last day. And she isn't recovering. She doesn't talk, won't look at anyone and crouches in a corner when the staff comes in the room. Plus she's been left..."

"The assault left her with child?" The Queen fought to keep the outrage from her voice.

"Yes, your Majesty, it has. From what I'm told she doesn't understand and because of that the healers can't terminate her pregnancy."

"How old is she?"

"Fourteen, Your Majesty."

"Thank you. I will make contact with my husband," the Queen spoke decisively. "Please make arrangements for her transfer to our care. Her family may not want her, but we will care of her and her child. My Captain's guard will make arrangements for TBrae to return to the Queen's Healing Centre. My healers are the best in this region of space, and they will do their best to ensure that she nor her baby will suffer another day."

"Your Majesty." H'Tarle was stunned. "That's beyond generous. Why?"

"By the Grace of our Gods, I have my child back. I will not permit another to suffer what would have been my daughter's fate."

"You knew?" H'Tarle stood up.

"The minute I walked into your office. I am a level ten telepath." She let out a soft, mirthless laugh. "You practically broadcasted your fear that I would find out. Inspector, the Gods spared my daughter a horrible fate. I do not know why two others were not. We will heal TBrae and the Doctor, and then I will return here to see their abusers pay. Good bye, Inspector." Without another, the word, she turned on her heels and joined everyone outside leaving H'Tarle to stare dumbfounded at her departing back.

Outside, River and Jack leaned against the walls of the TARDIS puffing little clouds as they breathed the cold air. Falling snow sparkled in the streetlights before landing on the circle of Vshakians and Regulun justice officers watching the Queen of Vshak walk inside the TARDIS, around the console and back out the door. She repeated the process for almost ten minutes until finally accepting the bizarre transdimensional ship. And then she laughed. It began with a refined giggle that progressed into a full-blown, deep from the centre of her core, laugh. It forced her to lean against the walls for support. Very little in life surprised her, let alone left her questioning her grip on reality, but it was undeniable that this strange ship achieved that very thing.

It was almost as much fun watching K'Nar giggle at her mother's reaction. Both humans surmised correctly that the child probably never seen her powerful mother, at a complete loss of words. By the glint in her eye and the glare she received back, they knew that she was telepathically teasing her mother.

Finally, the Queen instructed her assistant an a maidservant and two guards to enter the ship, and sent the rest of her staff back to their own with instructions to transport the human child back to Vshak as soon as possible. When she walked back in the box, she stopped and cocked her head slightly, stunned to hear the incredible ship trying to communicate. It started with pictures as the TARDIS introduced how she worked. Then came pictures of Thief in all his incarnations. The last face seemed impossibly young.

"She's showing me pictures of different men. They seem to be growing younger, how is that possible?"

"The ship is a sentient, living being," Jack answered. "She's showing you the faces of the Doctor in all his incarnations."

"She is speaking to me ... in Vshakian."The Queen stared in shock at River and Jack. "Does he grow younger, It's all back to front, isn't it? Does he wind up a child?"

River laughed. "No, I don't think so."

"At least, let's hope not." Jack chuckled. "I'll take you upstairs, your Majesty." He slipped an arm around K'Nar and led them to a room the ship had prepared for them to acclimate. There they could watch the view screen, learn their cover stories and practice human greetings. He blended K'Nar's imprisonment with the Doctor's cover story to create their own cover and then explained their disguise.

The Queen instructed her staff and daughter to remember every detail. After showing them what 2011 looked like on the viewer, he let them run through the data banks. The rate at which they absorbed the information was staggering. Even K'Nar and her little friend absorbed and understood the events taking place on the planet. Before he left, K'Nar asked him to close his eyes. When he opened them, a stunningly beautiful young human teen dressed as a modern Muslim girl stood in front of him. Nela stood next to her looking much the same. It was several seconds before Jack found his voice.

"Will I please him, Lord Harkness?" Her voice had a grown up character that he didn't expect.

It was a few seconds before Jack could trust his voice. ""K'Nar, I'm not sure that is an appropriate question. You - look amazing, and I'm going to make sure you stay well protected. I have to go find River." Jack winked at the Queen as he backed out of the room trying to hide the fact he was utterly gobsmacked.

Jack came down the steps to the control room and smiled when River looked around the time rotor flashing a tired smile. He couldn't help but wonder how much lay hidden behind that veneer of smiles. He crossed over and pulled her into a bear hug.

"If I ever doubted that they'd actually bonded, I don't now," he said softly as he kept his arms around her.

"Why, what happened?" River looked up, confused.

"K'Nar transformed to human and asked me if it would please him. The way she said it; I almost dropped my teeth.

"I hope her mother can fix this mess." There was a hint of doubt in River's voice.

"She can. She will." Jack tried to sound confident and hugged her tighter. "I can feel her tickling the back of my mind asking questions. If she can do that with my shields intact, traipsing through his head will be a walk in the park. River, this is going to work. We're going to make this right."

River buried her head in his chest. "We'd better Jack. I'm not losing him."

Jack kissed the top of her head. "I'm not letting that happen, Curly Tops."

They were going home. This time ... they would save the last Time Lord in the universe.


	36. Chapter 36 Half Way out of the Dark

River pulled away from Jack grateful their guests chose that moment to appear at the top of stairs. She wiped tears away as she flashed an embarrassed smile. The dramatic change in the Vshakians was every bit as startling as Jack suggested. They all had transformed from their pale blue, almost ethereal appearance to petite, olive-skinned beauties. Dark eyes framed by long eyelashes set off their delicate facial features.

K'Nar and Nela stood in front of the Queen dressed in long dresses that Jack explained were called abayas. Fine gold embroidery decorated the neckline and hem of K'Nar's pale purple dress while Nela wore a simple grey dress with beaded black cording. Both girls wore the typical hijab. They looked like typical Eastern European Muslim young teens. The abayas worn by the Queen and her aid were just as elegant but gave the two women a professional appearance. They were all stunning.

Jack was glad that he'd come up with a cover story to have them dress and act Muslim. Their clothing covered everything but their hands and faces, but Jack made a mental note to make sure they were always accompanied by a member of the team. They were too cute for words, and he didn't intend to take chances that overzealous teenage boys might spot them in Elizabeth.

They had reviewed early 21st century history, practised greetings and customs and tasted local food provided by the ship. They'd spent two hours practising typical human greetings. Getting the women to stop calling everyone My Lord or Lady proved a little tricky. It was a hard habit to overcome in a short amount of time. All in all, the few hours spent onboard the ship proved incredibly fruitful, and now it was time to go home.

" What's in your ear?" K'Nar asked as she and Neela came bouncing down the steps toward them, leaving the Queen and her aide standing at the top of the stairs.

He glanced down at the mobile on his belt and touched the earwig. A smile crossed his face at the realisation that a race of telepaths would have no concept of the 21st century device. A quick nod to the Queen and he launched into an explanation.

"It's called a telephone. This particular is a mobile or cell phone that bounces its signal off the time vortex and can reach any phone anywhere the technology exists.

"As long as you have the area code, " River quipped.

"Yea, well - anyway," Jack said as he pulled a face before turning back to K'Nar. "The thing in my ear lets me listen and talk while leaving my hands free. "

" It's like a mechanical telepathic link ?" Nela asked as she stepped next to her mistress.

"Well, yeah, I suppose, but I can't hear their thoughts, only their words. "

K'Nar just shook her head.

Jack jumped and pulled a face at River's smirk when his mobile finally rang making K'Nar giggle. "Ianto Jones, where are you?" Jack grinned as he spoke to the Welshman. Neither he nor River expected to be gone two long months. At least for Ianto it had only been a few days.

"We are just flying over Pennsylvania, sir. We should be landing in two hours and twelve minutes - our time."

"Very good and our covers are intact, I assume?"

"Absolutely, sir. Gwen and Rhys send their regards."

"See you soon." Jack smiled warmly when he clicked the connection off. He did miss the man.

"Okay," he looked at River, "Yan will be landing in two hours and twelve minutes. That means we need to set coordinates to land in two hours and thirty-two minutes, and no one will know we aren't coming back from the airport. I love it when a plan comes together." He allowed himself a small chuckle as he rubbed his hands together. They were both glad this was nearly over.

With the TARDIS's anxiety levels down , the two humans were finally free of the constant headaches. She tickled the back of Jack's mind letting her relief wash through him. For the first time in days, her alert system was quiet. Centuries had passed since so many telepaths were on board and their presence left the TARDIS feeling blissfully content. To make sure that this alien would help her children, she gladly shared her history and stories of her latest inhabitants. Now that she knew her nightmare would end soon she was ready to return her passengers to the hospital. Thief would come home soon after.

" Next call, " Jack grinned at the girls as he punched in Martha's number.

" Martha Jones, voice of a nightingale, how are you ?" Jack actually sounded in a good mood.

" How much longer, Jack ?"

"For me, thirty seconds give or take. For you, two hours and thirty-two minutes. Ianto will be landing at the airfield in two hours and twelve minutes. We will be walking in hospital twenty minutes after. How is he doing ?"

"He's okay , I think, we're all ready for this to end," Martha replied. "His pneumonia has improved dramatically, and the abscess has resolved. His energy production worries me; it's still bare minimum at best. I have to be honest, Jack, don't tell River this, I haven't told anyone here, but I'm worried that he has some brain damage. Even under, he's continued to have spikes in his EEG. I won't know for sure until he's awake."

"Damn," Jack muttered. "When we get this undone, what are his chances at a full recovery?"

"Honestly, I think it will be slow. Let's just get her to undo what K'Nar did, and then we'll see. How are we explaining the Queen? "

"Since she's a healer, she's telling everyone that she's a psychiatrist who deals with terror victims."

"That sounds good. How is K'Nar handling all this ?"

"She's scared for him. She's gone through a lot, and she blames herself. Her mum is just starting to understand what she did. She is a typical kid. She and her friend both ask a gazillion questions. We have an issue we will talk about later. It explains a couple of things, but it shouldn't change our present plan. How long before you wake him up ?"

"The plan is for him to wake up to her voice. We will turn the drip off thirty minutes before you get back. We'll pull everything, but an IV and his catheter, and wait for him to lighten up. And then we'll cross our fingers. He has a lot of support here. We all do."

"Okay, Martha Jones, tell all those folks to say a prayer this works. Let them know about the Muslim thing. I don't need anyone with a 9/11 complex upsetting these people. "

"Jack, I think their tongues would fall out before they said anything hateful, but I'll tell them. "

o0o

Martha closed her phone, and smiled at the group sitting in the little lounge area. She'd made sure that no-one could hear her, but she could see the looks of concern on their faces. Over a dozen people waited for a child coming from half a world away. Martha chuckled to herself; if they only knew. She pocketed the phone and walked back to the space that over the last few days, had become a hangout for the Americans and Brits, including the ICU staff. She marvelled at how fast a few of the older visitors sprang to their feet wanting information.

"They'll be here in two and half hours. Jack told me to tell you, they are Muslim so if that's a problem for anyone -?"

" Doctor Jones, please, we are better than that. " A woman named Barbara said as she looked at the others. "Still, they are bound to be hungry after such a long flight. Does anyone know whom to call, to get the right food for them ?"

Martha smiled ; these were amazing people.

" I need everyone to understand, this is just the very first step. When he wakes up, he will be confused and disoriented. He still needs weeks of therapy physically, and he will need a lot of support emotionally. All I did was buy him time for his body to heal. The hard work is just beginning. "

"Doctor Jones, no matter how long it takes, we're all committed to helping, but do you think he really will ? Get well I mean, after everything he's been through ?"

Martha looked at Bob Harrison. The older man, despite his early doubts, turned out to be one of the more committed visitors. "Yeah, I do, Bob. I just don't think it will be easy. For as long as I have known him, he has never turned away from a fight. He will get better, especially after he realises that people truly care. I need to let everyone in his room know what's happening. " Martha left the group and headed for Thete. She couldn't wait until he was the Doctor again.

Martha stood in the doorway of Thete's room with a multitude of thoughts running through her head. River and Jack were finally coming back. She had no idea how long they's actually been gone, but she sincerely doubted that it was just four and half days. She'd learnt that time travel trick her first time out. The room was semi-busy with everyone finishing last minute details to make the room look nice. Nan was just finishing straightening his bed. Sarah washed his hair, announced there was a bit of new growth and fussed that it would take at least three haircuts to make it all to blend in. The sight of his bow tie brought a grin. Rory had clipped it on for River.

She wasn't even aware of sighing deeply. He was better: the bruises were resolving with some of the older bruises already gone, though ones from his last beating still covered his chest and back. Since he'd stopped fighting so hard, the welts had started to fade, and the cuts were beginning to heal. The physical injuries from his rape were healing. With any luck and no back sliding, his pneumonia would be resolved in the next few days. The gene therapy had acted as a patch, but still - until his body was fully restored to Gallifreyan, he would be ill. Even restored, he needed a full two weeks of antibiotics, while his immune system recovered.

Early Thanksgiving posters and fifty get-well cards decorated the wall of the neat room. They came from Nan and Hank's churches and from people in town who had never met the young man, but believed that he's stood up to terrorists and won. Once word went out that he'd been placed in a coma, Thete's story had grown. He had no idea how many people were pulling for his recovery. He would, though. Someone had started a scroll on the window at the café, for people to leave their good wishes and prayers for a recovery.

It was time for him to wake up. It was time for that brilliant brain to heal and to function as the brain of a Time Lord should. Everyone sitting next to him was ready for this to end.

Martha looked at Amy sitting next to Hank. She looked bloody exhausted. For five days, they'd practically forced her to go to bed at night. Annie wasn't much better. They were all outraged that her parents refused to shelter her. Nan moved her and Emily in with her, even paying the sitter to stay with Emily when Annie came to the hospital. They made sure someone stayed close by to ensure Mike didn't get anywhere near her. When they couldn't, Vince or a couple of buddies acted as her bodyguards. Martha knew Jack would have a cow when he saw the marks on her face. That all this drama had occurred because of a wounded stranger still amazed Martha. She was sure there was a cosmic meaning in there somewhere.

" They'll be here in a couple of hours," she called from the doorway. "Abby, you want to go ahead and shut off his feed, and then we can pull the tube ?" Martha said as she walked up to the bed. Abby nodded and turned off the pump .

Everyone gagged slightly as she flushed the tube and pulled it out. Two hours later, they stopped his drip. Abby suctioned him one last time, and then pulled his airway. The line from his neck was next. That left him with just an IV in the back of his hand, and a nasal cannula for his oxygen. His last IV would stay until they knew he could swallow pills and his catheter would come out when they knew he was strong enough to handle things of a personal nature with just a little help.

o0o

Perfectly timed with the TARDIS, Ianto pulled the black SUV into the third floor parking space closest to the recess under the fourth floor stairwell. Thirty seconds later, the TARDIS fully materialised filling the space with the familiar whine of engines. Ianto hoped a different Jack was returning, hopefully in a much better mood than when he left. Jack held the door open to allow Queen G'Na and her daughter out the door. River shepherded the rest of the group out the door behind them. The Vshakians stood in the car park, blinking with surprise.

They were standing on a world 30 000 light years from home, twenty centuries from their own.

"Welcome home, Sir." Ianto grinned when his friend/boss stepped out of the ship.

"anto, how did everything go ?"

"It's all been arranged. You just need to sign the documents. "

"Good. Your Majesty, let me present my friend Ianto Jones. Ianto, I'd like you to meet Her Majesty G'Na LLew. From now on, we have to remember, its Madam G'Na or Doctor Llew. And this," Jack laid a gentle hand on K'Nar, "is Her Royal Highness, K'Nar Llew. "

"Your Majesty - - Doctor Llew, it's my pleasure. Your Highness - - Miss, it's my honour. There are a lot of people excited to meet you. "

"Thank you, Mister Jones. " G'Na nodded her head numbly, obviously awed by her surroundings. "My Lord - - Mr Jones, what is this place ?"

" It's called a car park, Ma'am. It's where people put their transportation vehicles when they ' re at the healing centre. In this time, on Earth, healing centres are called hospitals. Transportation is fossil fuel based and they're called cars or automobiles. " Ianto answered.

" We call the vehicle that my friend Ianto came in, an SUV. They have cars and coaches, or busses, that carry a large number of people; and here in this part of the world, lorries, lots of Lorries. Except in America, they're called trucks. There are no transmats here. The only people with vortex manipulators are visitors from the 43rd century and beyond, and they stay hidden. " Jack finished.

"It's so strange, " K'Nar muttered. Holding each other's hands, the two girls turned in a tight circle, awestruck at the sight.

The humans couldn't help chuckle as the girls walked around the cars. K'Nar slid her finger on the hood of a Taurus. Ianto pulled her away, gently reminding her not to touch, lest she set off an alarm.

"We should go, please," River encouraged as she closed her mobile, "they're waiting for us. "

G'Na turned to her servants instructing them to wait in the TARDIS, and followed Jack and River to the lift.

Just outside the hospital doors, G'Na stopped, taking in a deep breath and turned to River, " She sings to him. "

"Pardon ?"

"When we landed, I was expecting to be bombarded, so I raised my shields, and reached out to see if there were any other telepaths. I hear only you, Captain Harkness and the ship. The minute we walked out the doors, she started singing to him. She is trying to get him to respond. This is unlike anything I have ever experienced. He's bonded to K'Nar, but his ship is bonded to him. Captain, Doctor Song, " G'Na brought her focus back, " As soon as we break his bond to K'Nar, we must re-bond him to his ship. Is there anything that can help act as a bridge between them - something we can use as a link."

"I don't know. " River answered, " Me, maybe. I was conceived on her. "

Jack's mouth dropped open " Really, how did that happen ?" Two months of their own time line together, and she'd left that little nugget out.

"Spo ..." she started with a grin.

" Yeah, I know spoilers. "

The Queen smiled at the two as she continued. "When we start the healing process, he will feel lost, and confused. There is so much work to do. I suggest we get started."

o0o

Amy and Rory stood at the lift waiting for the doors to open. They both rocked on their heels in nervous anticipation. All their hopes were pinned on the people they expected to find coming out of the lift, any minute now. When the doors slid open, they were both stunned to see K'Nar. It was easy to know which girl was which; her grin was genuine and ear to ear. The haunted look was gone from her now green eyes, and despite looking a bit thin, she genuinely looked well. Amy opened her arms and K'Nar rushed into them without thinking. Amy hugged her tight and smiled at the older woman who was obviously her mother.

Thank you so much," Amy extended her hand. "I'm...

"You are - Amy Pond Williams, his dearest friend and this fine young man must be your bondmate, Rory. The TARDIS showed me your pictures." G'Na greeted her warmly.

" We are so grateful that you came. We are even more grateful that you would allow your daughter to come after everything she's been through. "

"It is my honour to meet the people who saved my child. She told me how you sat with her for hours trying to bring comfort to her. I am so very sorry that her misguided efforts have added to his pain. We have much to consider, but first let's go see him. " G'Na took Amy by the arm warmly. " Show me where the Time Lord is. "

Amy and Rory led the group back to the room and introduced Nan, Hank and Sarah. Amy held River's hand as they walked into, not missing that she and Jack both sucked in a deep breath. "He really is better," Amy whispered. It's just hard because he was ranting when you saw him."

"Right," Jack muttered. "okay, Madam G'Na." Jack started as he introduced everyone.

"Since Doctor Jones has turned off his sedation, may I suggest that we wait for further discussion until after I exam him and review his records. May we have a few minutes, please," the Queen spoke gently.

Right then, " Martha said. " Sarah, can you show everyone to pie, please?"

G'Na joined the human doctor at Thete's bedside after she asked River to keep K'Nar in the lounge. Once they were alone, G'Na placed her fingers at his temples, and touched her forehead to his. She searched his mind for any sign that his shields were in place, and found none. She could hear the TARDIS singing to him, but he showed no sign that he understood. His mind was in hiding. Scanning deeper, she found the trail her daughter left. A thin, delicate red line led to its deepest recesses where she found him. Huddled in a cave, frightened, and holding tightly to a red balloon. He was a child, at the first blush of teenagehood. She guessed his age the same as her daughter's; thirteen summers. For such a remarkable old soul to fall so far, was incomprehensible to her. The pain in his soul came at her in waves. She moved gently toward him.

_Hello, child._

_Who are you and why are you here. This is my place. The sudden appearance of an outsider by his box terrified him._

_I'm a friend. Who are you waiting for, child ?_

_My friend. I've called for her and called for her. I know she'll come. She always comes, but I'm afraid they hurt her. She has to come, I can't think without her._

_Why can't you think without her ? The Queen whispered to his mind._

_She did something and then gave me the balloon. I don't ... I can't remember, but she said that she'd come back. I've waited and waited. Why hasn't she come back ? She's my half. I can't live without her._

_Why can't you live without her ?_

_I told you_, he sounded increasingly agitated._ She's my half._

_Child, have you slept since being here ?_

_I don't need sleep. If I sleep; I'll miss her answer._

_Child, do you remember why you're hiding ? What brought you to the cave in the first place ?_

G'Na watched the child struggle. He looked around his carefully constructed cave illuminated only by the light generated by the energy balloon. Without that light everything in his cave would be as dark as the rest of his mind. Finally, tears threatening, he shook his head. _I don't know. Bad people chased me here._

_Do you remember her name ?_

_K'Nar, her name is K'Nar. Do you know her ?_

_Do you remember your name ?_

_Thete nodded, Thete, I'm Thete. She calls me, My Lord. Is she coming ?_

_I promise you; she is coming very soon and then we will start fixing things. Rest now, child._

G'Na eased him to sleep and then withdrew. When she opened her eyes Martha was watching; her worry plainly evident on her face.

"I need to speak to Doctor Song and the Captain. " The Queen was now in full healer mode.

Five minutes later G'Na stood with Martha, Jack and River in an empty room.

"What's wrong, Your Majesty ?" River as soon as the door closed behind them.

G'Na sighed deeply, " Except for his bond to my daughter, he has completely shut down. At the moment, he is nothing more than an exhausted child. Despite your drugs, he has not slept for fear of missing K'Nar's answer to his call. I have eased him to sleep while we talk."

"What bond?" Martha looked at them with obvious confusion.

"That's the glitch," Jack answered. "Evidently when she tried to help, they accidentally bonded ... as mates. He was serious when he said that he called and called. He was telepathically hunting for his wife, but doesn't know that's what K'Nar has become."

"Oh, that's ... that's just rich," Gob-smacked, Martha dropped heavily into a chair. "

Seconds later, she was back on her feet facing G'Na. "But, you can fix him, right ? You can undo what she did?" Martha asked. It was obvious that she found it harder to hide the frustration and anger this whole mess generated.

"I can break the bond," G'Na interrupted, "and unlock his doors to help him remember, but it will not be easy. This is worse than I thought. I wish that he was strong enough to take home. I'd have a whole team. "

"But, you can undo what K'Nar did - right?" Martha repeated.

" Yes, but you must understand that this is more than what she did. From what K'Nar explained, she left him with some residual memory. He has nothing, except her. He has locked everything away. I scanned your memories, and there is a term, hypnosis, that I suggest we use to justify his sessions with me. We will do several short sessions today and tomorrow and then extend them. I also want to be the only one who stays with him at night except, for you Captain. He sees the Hank person as a father, and his friend Rory is too attached. He will instinctively seek them for comfort, instead of facing his fears. I will need you to restrain him. He will not like it when I enter his mind, and he will not cooperate. "

G'Na watched Harkness rubbed his tired face. A shadow of a beard was just beginning to show. He looked frustrated and unsure of what to do. River's face had the same haggard appearance. He knew that, after all their waiting, telling the Munsons, Nan and the others to go home would break their hearts.

"I can explain this to them, so they understand. I have scanned their minds, and I know how to phrase it so no one is offended. "

"Tell me, do all of you just scan without asking ?" River snapped. Her anger was bubbling to the top, and without meaning to, she suddenly sounded petulant.

"I'm sorry, but yes, " G'Na answered. "Just as you see with your eyes. Doctor Song, normally we do not speak. Our scanning is no different from your seeing and then assessing your surroundings. It's just - how we are. "

"Let's get this going. Madam G'Na, tell them what you have too; it's why you're here. It's why K'Nar is here. We need him back. Scan whoever you want; do whatever it takes to undo this mess. They aren't going to know, and privacy is the least of our worries. " Jack ordered.

Walking out to the concerned gathering, G'Na studied the faces of the humans in front of her. They were a sweet, kind people, and their distress was palpable. G'Na opened her arms for her daughter.

With her daughter snuggled in her arms, the gentle Queen did something she had never done before. She lied. " I'm not sure what you have been told. My daughter was held by the same people who took Thete. She was stolen because I work with victims of extreme terror. My life's work is to restore their mental health. For some, that means just going outside their houses without fear. There are those in my world who do not like that a woman involves herself in such things. They stole my daughter to punish me. "

She felt the rush of sympathy from the people in front of her. "When he met my daughter, Thete was already hurt, but he tried to protect her and she, him. Two lost people locked in hell. When they took him away, the Captain tells me, he believed that they killed her and that it was his fault.

Nan nearly sobbed. " He does believe that. He kept asking what he had done wrong. He thought Jack and the others were coming to arrest him because he'd hurt her somehow. "

G'Na dropped her head to her chest. She was glad these people were not telepaths. She found it increasingly difficult to control her fury, and the last thing she wanted was to project her emotions toward them. She smiled and refocused on the task at hand.

"The Captain came for my daughter because Thete cannot recover without knowing she's alive. Little did he know that my daughter has also struggled with guilt. She doesn't understand why they didn't hurt her as badly as they hurt him. In fact, they did. They beat him and then told her to be glad it wasn't her. They were saving her. She still doesn't know what that meant, and I am not telling her."

She ignored the mental question from from her daughter, instead she flooded her with love. "Putting them together, I hope they can star t healing. We will allow them be alone for a while and talk, and then we will start. The hard part for you, is for a stranger to tell you to go home. "

"Why ?" Hank asked. She was right. He was a father to Thete and G'Na felt his immediate suspicion.

" Mr Munson, the Captain told me about you. You are an remarkable man, sir, and a remarkably kind person. Thete cannot be sedated into a coma again. We are going to use deep hypnosis to unlock his memories. His nightmares will return full force once the drugs are out of his system. It is you, he will scream for. He will expect you to stop his monsters, but I must teach him to stop them, himself. "

"Can you - - teach him to do it, himself ?" Nan had tears sliding down her face.

" Yes, I can. He is young and resilient. I think, if those vermin had not assaulted him the last time in such a horrific way, he would have recovered by now. But between that - - assault, and believing my daughter was dead, he just couldn't cope. Once he sees her, we will be able to start the struggle to get him back. Can you trust me to let me try ?"

Martha walked up to them and smiled tightly, " He's waking up. If we're going to do this as planned, we need to do it now. "

Hank inhaled sharply before he spoke, "We'll stay until he's awake, and sees her. What about Amy and Rory ?"

"Everyone he can lean on should go home; it will be much less stressful for everyone. When he is ready, you can visit all you want between sessions. Eventually you will need to be involved in those sessions. You must understand, he will not recover overnight. Just to be functional again may take weeks and to fully heal, it may very well be months." G'Na looked at them sympathetically.

The group who had waited all day just looked at each other with a mixture of fear and disappointed. It was clear to G'Na that the thought of leaving made them all sick. She hoped she could live up to the trust they were putting her. Without them being aware of what she was doing, she flooded their minds with comfort.

o0o

The plan was for him to wake up just to sound of K'Nar's voice. G'Na would act as back up to calm him if he became overwhelmed. She felt their nervousness and before entering the room she turned and flashed a reassuring smile. "Remember, this is just the first step," she said as she held the door open for K'Nar.

K'Nar stifled a sob at the sight of the still sleeping young Lord. She was not sure what she expected, but seeing him looking so ill, broke her young heart. Old bruises added to his fragile appearance. A good wind could snap him in half. He shifted and pulled away from her touch, and then turned on his side. He tucked his good hand up under his chin. She walked up to the bed and waited while Martha dropped the rail and helped her get situated next to him. She couldn't stop tears from sliding down her cheeks. She no longer cared that adults were watching as she cuddled his limp hand against her cheek.

This wasn't fair.

She looked up at her mother and felt encouragement brush against her mind. A smile crossed K'Nar's face when Thete shifted,pulled his hand back and rubbed his nose. She remembered the first time she touched his mind in that filthy cell, when he brushed the invisible fly away. She watched as he chewed his bottom lip.

" He's in normal REM sleep. " Martha whispered to G'Na. " He should be able to hear her. "

K'Nar barely heard the human as she sat on the bed with silent tears running down her cheeks.

Her mothered whispered to her daughter's mind. Go ahead daughter ; you may talk to him only. Help him wake up, but do nothing else.

K'Nar stroked his head gently, and then stepped through the doors to his mind. She expected turmoil, but there was almost nothing. His mind was dormant making it was easier to move than before. She knew what to look for. She found the remains of her trail and followed it to his safe place.

He sat just outside his cave, leaning against his box as he stared up at a deep orange night sky, oblivious to everything but the sky. She could feel his deep longing for his home world and quietly snuck up to his side. He looked her age now, and that made her giggle as she plopped down next to his child self.

Hello, My Lord. Did you miss me ? she teased.

His head whipped around to see the other half of his soul. _K'Nar!_ His mind leapt with excitement and relief. _I knew you would come back. I called. Am I dead, is that why you are here ?_

Mentally, he leapt up and enveloped K'Nar in a hug. Red energy began to flow through and around them. Before realising it, she felt their bond grow stronger. She heard her mother's warning, but she couldn't stop. As the balloon began to glow with their energy, she felt her mother's anger and K'Nar pulled away.

I heard you call across the stars, My Lord. I came as fast as I could.

I can't believe you're finally here. I have you back. Please, don't leave me again. He pulled her back in his arms.

It felt so right to be held snugly in his arms . It didn't matter that it was wrong. She belonged here. Ignoring her mother, she hugged him as tightly as she dared, feeling her heart race as the bond between them grew.

_I'm here, My Lord. She whispered to his mind._

_Are we dead K'Nar ? I saw it when they blew you up, and then there was nothing. I can't... . I don't know what I am. I'm lost, K'Nar. I must be dead._

_My Lord, we are not dead._ She gently kissed his cheek. _You used the vortex manipulator to come back to Earth. You just got it wrong a bit. Don't you remember ?_

Thete shook his head.

_My Mum is here. She will help me fix things; she will make things better. Your friends miss you. Won't you take my hand and come back with me. It's time, My Lord._

_No, it hurts too much out there. Stay with me. No one can hurt you here._

_My mother will help, my Lord. Hold my hand and I will walk with you to the gate. You will have to come through by yourself. Just know if you don't, my Mum will make you anyway. Please Lord, for your friends and for me. I must go now, please - take my hand. You have to come back with me._

_What about all the bad people out there ? They'll hurt you. I promised to protect you._

_Not anymore. They are all in jail._

K'Nar realised that he truly was her half. He worried for her, not himself, but for her. It confused her. She didn't want to break the bond, not ever. For the first time since he disappeared into the vortex, she could breathe. Mentally, she clung to her friend as her mother urged her to hurry.

Storm clouds of confusion gathered around two lost souls. He'd been locked away alone for so long, and she had felt so guilty for so long. Her mother's voice grew louder in her head, pushing through the storm, telling her to hurry. She took his hand and pulled him with her toward a growing arch of golden energy. She tried hard to ignore the monsters as they grew louder, keening around him. She felt his mind go rigid with fear.

_You must come through alone, My Lord. Please Lord, trust me._

There was singing, sweet sounds of relief on the other side of the arch.

_Come through the arch, My Lord._

Thete dropped her hand and followed K'Nar through the arch back to reality.

K'Nar stepped back out of Thete's mind and opened her eyes. She watched him make a face as reality seeped into his world. Reaching up, he rubbed at his nose then chewed at his lower lip. She smiled as he brushed once more at that annoying invisible fly. When he stretched his leg while pulling the covers up to his chin, her smile broadened. He was coming back to her. Under different circumstances, this would all be cute. She missed the expression on the faces of the two adults watching as she tenderly brushed a lock of hair from his face.

Her voice broke the silence that hung in the room. " My Lord, it is time. Can you hear me ?"

A half smile played at his lips seemingly enjoying a good dream. His face twitched as she called him again.

" Now, My Lord, before our Mums come and we get into trouble," she teased.

After several seconds, his eyebrows knitted together, vaguely aware someone was calling him.

"Open your eyes, My Lord. " K'Nar whispered in his ear.

" No, go away. " Thete mumbled his first coherent words in five days.

" My Lord, my Mum is coming. You have to wake up now. "

Still too drugged to open his eyes, Thete reached for the source of the voice. It was familiar ; it even smelled familiar.

" Hello, My Lord. It is so very good to see you again. "

"K'Nar?" His barely audible voice cracked as he reached to pull her head down.

K'Nar took his hand, laying it against her face. His skin was cool against hers.

"K'Nar, did we win?" His voice was weak and raw.

K'Nar smiled remembering all the times he told her that he had to win against his abusers.

Thete pushed through the confusion unsure if the voice he heard was real. "K'Nar? K'Nar?"

He tried to sit up only to have an unseen hand gently push him back. He pulled her forehead to his.

His voice was so weak that it was hard to hear. "You are alive? I thought they killed you. " He wrapped his arms around her pulling her to his chest. "You're alive. Are we in the cell ?" Her sweet scent filled his nostrils.

She wiped the tears tracing down his cheeks. "No, My Lord, you are in a healing centre on Earth. We are safe now. Our families have us now. It is over, it's truly - - finally over," K'Nar sobbed. She laid her head on his chest, and tried to hug him.

It didn't matter that his arms were unbelievably weak, they wrapped around her. It was his tears that landed on her hair and his hearts that pounded against her chest. It didn't matter that this was all horribly wrong. It only mattered that she had him back. She would take care of him. Oblivious to the stranger and her mother, she laid in his arms and cried.

"Did we win , K'Nar? Is she safe, did I keep her safe ?"

"Yes, we won, my Lord ." K'Nar sobbed against his chest. " She is safe. They never found her. You kept her safe. "

"I'm so tired, K'Nar. Can we sleep now ?"

"Yes, My Lord. We can sleep now. " She cried as she cuddled against his chest smiling when she felt his protective hug tighten. Now they were safe.

G'Na wanted to sink to her knees in grief at the sight of her daughter laying wrapped in the arms of a barely conscious man. This was something that she'd never thought possible. G'Na realised for the first time how powerful a telepath her daughter was destined to become. A lesser telepath could never have managed to hide behind such strong mental walls. She felt a failure as a mother, a healer and a ruler. A long list of should haves ran through her mind, beginning with forcing K'nar to yield to a mind probe. How this thirteen year old child managed to fool holographic EEG's was beyond her. G'Na brushed a hand lightly over her daughter's head feeling waves of confused love and pain come back. She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and one on her daughter and gasped.

Once they linked, the bond had strengthened. She was furious with herself that she hadn't anticipated that. The two victims clung tightly to each other's arms. Neither would heal without the other, but this bond could not stand. She could not let a marital bond between an adult and child - her child stand. Breaking it would be difficult and painful for both of them.

Finally, she spoke to the man that she had travelled across the universe, and two thousand years to help.

" Lord Doctor, can you hear me ?"

"Go away, please, leaves us alone," he mumbled.

"I am Queen G'Na Llew of the Vshak , I am K'Nar's mother. I cannot go away. I have come a long way to help you." She watched his arms tightened protectively around her daughter.

"Please - don't hurt her. Please. "

"No one will hurt her, My Lord," she re-assured him. " No harm will ever come to her again. You are both safe now. I came to help you. Will you let me help ?"

Obviously confused, he clung to K'Nar, " Please go away, just leave us alone. I have to take her home. I promised. "

G'Na touched his temples and closed her eyes. _You are both safe_, she repeated._ I'm going to help you, but now - go to sleep._

G'Na sent the same message to her daughter and watched K'Nar's eyes drift closed

Martha looked at G'Na, they both had tears running down their faces. " What did they win?"

G'Na drew a breath and exhaled slowly. " Their lives, Doctor Jones. They have won their lives. I don't know how I could have been so blind to my daughter's pain. The healers who cared for her assured me that she was doing better. She hid behind walls that no child should have. They are too emotionally exhausted to do more than sleep. "

Both women wiped their tears and stepped out to a hall filled with concerned friends. Martha walked in to Jack's arms, " He knows her, Jack; he knows her. "

After explaining what had happened, G'Na opened the door quietly to check on the two. A sad smile crossed her face as she stepped aside so Thete's adopted family and friends could see in the room. The two survivors of unspeakable horror lay curled in each other's arms sound asleep.

"Look at them," Hank said, "My God, just look at them."

G'Na nodded. Her heart broke knowing what lay ahead. She had to break their bond, but not just yet, not today.


	37. Chapter 37 The Road Back

Two hours after her arrival, K'Nar still lay wrapped in Thete's arms, both deeply sleep. Instead of leaving, the blended family sat at his bedside in whispered conversations that helped everyone get acquainted. Fort the first time, the Americans learned of K'Nar's treatment, and her struggle to keep Thete alive. G'Na kept her explanations of K'Nar's ordeal as human as possible. The need to lie so much was giving her a bit of a headache.

Only once, had she asked River to go with her back to the TARDIS. She needed to be with her own handmaiden to decompress and cry for her damaged daughter.

"How long do you think they'll sleep?" Amy looked over G'Na and Martha who hovered over the two.

"I have no idea. Their scans are normal," Martha answered. "They are kind of cute, though."

"I thought he'd just wake up," Hank muttered as he stroked Thete's head.

Martha snorted, "Hank, really. He hasn't done anything the way we thought he would. Why would this be any different?"

To that Hank laughed; the young doctor was right. "I'm going for a walk. Holler at me if somebody groans." He walked past Sarah, and then stopped to kiss the top of her head.

Wilson came, met G'Na and ordered blood work to make sure his electrolytes and blood sugar remained stable without his tube feeding. He fussed at Martha for being overly optimistic, but stopped short of ordering his feeding tube reinserted.

The hours stretched first into the late afternoon and then into the evening. Even G'Na was surprised by the extent of their exhaustion. Both telepathic and bio-scans showed them, for the most part, to be in a normal deep sleep. As the day extended, Thete's nightmares began to rear their ugly heads. They watched him twitch and then wrap his arms tighter around K'Nar, trying to protect her from the demons in his dream. They also watched in amazement at K'Nar's reaction. Even asleep, she reached and patted his chest, calming him.

As the sun set, Hank exacted a promise from Jack that he would call when the two woke up and then took everyone else home. As the hours stretched further into the evening, Jack and River both left to find a place just to lay down for a while leaving the Queen alone with her daughter and Thete. When his nightmares began to re-surface, G'Na moved to block their transmission to her daughter. The horror that she saw in his subconscious made her sick. It was no wonder that her daughter tried to make him forget. Once his mind quieted, she began tickling K'Nar's consciousness, encouraging her to begin the process of waking up. As she sat alone watching the expression on the Time Lord's face, she wondered how much time had passed since he'd actually slept. Weeks definitely, perhaps even months. It didn't seem possible that a man so exhausted had managed to search for a child alone across the universe for as long as he did before making a mistake. It was no wonder that he was such a mess.

Lost in her own thoughts, G'Na was startled by the young woman who slipped in quietly. "You must be Cass." She smiled up at the girl. "Doctor Jones described you." She answered the surprised look on Cass' face. "I am Madam G'Na Llew, K'Nar's mother." She moved to meet the nurse.

"Your daughter must have been exhausted," Cass asked quietly as she checked Thete's temperature.

G'Na smiled at Cass' reaction at seeing the young girl wrapped in Thete's protective grasp. She appreciated how the young nurse tucked the blanket around both when Thete shifted in his sleep.

"More than I realised, I'm afraid." the Queen replied.

The gentleness Cass showed as she brushed Thete's hair away from his eyes reminded the Queen that true healers were the same everywhere.

"How is his temperature?" G'Na asked. The primitive methods these humans used to monitor a patient fascinated her. At home, he would be on a bio-bed with every read-out on holographic display. They would have known the moment he started a dream, let alone become dangerously ill.

"For him, it's fine. He runs a lower temp than most. He's at 96 degrees. Not bad considering he made it to the equivalent of 105 the night we almost lost him. "

"Everyone has become very attached to him, haven't they?"

A small smile played across Cass's face. "I've never had a patient everyone is attached to. It's just weird. Every nurse has a favourite, someone gets attached to, but a patient everyone loves is just - well, weird. Thete has touched everyone's heart. He would be in agony and worry about the patient in the next room, telling us, he could help. The first night, he begged us to find your daughter, but after that, he clung to the band that she left with him as if it were his life line. If we asked if he remembered her, he would stroke that band and stare at the wall. The only time he ever asked for anything for himself, he'd be in the middle of a flashback. "

"What did he ask for then?" G'Na asked quietly.

"Not to be taken back," Cass answered. "Well, look what the cat dragged in." She chuckled softly at the sight of the man walking in. "Captain Harkness, we missed you."

"I'm sure. " Jack snickered. "River and I have 38 messages; all of them wanting to know if our sleepy heads have woken up. They range from - is he awake - to - is he back in a coma - to - is the child alright? So, I thought I'd bring you something to eat and check on them. How's he doing, Cass?" Jack's eyes twinkled when he smiled at the nurse who had almost smacked him.

Cass smiled back at Jack. "His vitals are fine. His lungs have improved dramatically since you left. The question is - how are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm doing fine. Learning not to tick off night nurses." He chuckled.

Cass laughed as she headed back to her station, "Let me know if you need anything before my next round. I'll leave you two to chat."

"Thank you, Cass," G'Na smiled at the nurse as she left and then turned to Jack.

She patted the seat next to her inviting him to sit. It was a unique experience for her. At home, he would never be allowed to sit in her presence, let alone be next to her. For the first time in her life, she knew what it meant to be free of protocols. And she liked it.

"I think K'Nar will join us soon, but I'm afraid the Lord Doctor is still deeply asleep," she said softly.

"Thank you," he said quietly as he took a seat next to the most laid-back queen he'd ever met. "I have to ask, why hasn't she reverted ?"

"She keeps his form because they are so tightly bonded. When we sever the bond, she will need to sleep in the TARDIS where she is safe from prying eyes."

"What about you, your Majesty - when do you get to sleep ?"

"I can sleep sitting here for now, but I will need to shift for at least awhile in the morning. "

"Have you scanned them?"

"Yes, he is struggling with nightmares. I have tried to keep them both calm. So far their sleep is good. I miss our monitoring equipment. His dreams would be on a display letting us chart them and stop them before they can become an issue."

"How hard will it be to break the bond? Jack leaned forward to stroke Thete's head.

"If we didn't have the TARDIS here to help us, I wouldn't even try. I would insist we return home, with him in stasis if necessary. He would not survive the neurogenic shock otherwise. As it is, reaching in to destroy that link won't be pleasant for either of them. The TARDIS will re-bond with him, and that should prevent neurogenic shock, but they will both have significant headaches. Tomorrow, my assistant will work with K'Nar while I work with him."

"Damn"

"Captain, If they hadn't been in such desperate surroundings, this would never have happened. I would undo the changes that she made, help him rebuild his shields and life would go on for them both. But they were desperate, and it happened. My husband isn't too happy, though. He worries that she may not want to bond to her chosen when its time." G'Na smiled.

"Does she have one, I mean do you choose her future husband?"

"No, not really. It's hard for humans to understand, I think. The ruling class of our world sits at two levels, a patriarch/king rules the politics and the Chief Healer/ queen rules everything for the social good. We limit her choices to spouses that can fill that role. As parents, we manoeuvre them into the right position. After that, the choice will be hers."

"No offence, your Majesty, but that sounds like an arranged marriage to me." Jack chuckled.

"Perhaps. Technically speaking, an arranged bonding occurs when the child is young. Our girls aren't even allowed to consider bonding until they come of age. That happens when they are eighteen summers. Then, instead of wearing their braid wrapped around their head, they can wear it hanging down. Upon bonding, we wear our hair loose." She shook her hair free of the scarf.

"Politics," Jack muttered as he shook his head.

"Culture," she responded with a laugh.

o0o

K'Nar woke slowly to the sounds of her mother talking to a man that was not her father. When she finally opened her eyes, she realised her head still rested on her Lord's chest. She raised up to look blearily at her mother, "Mother?"

"It's alright, child," G'Na mentally answered as she immediately flooded her with reassurances and a reminder of where she was.

G'Na helped her daughter extricate herself from Thete's protective arm. Almost immediately, he curled up on his side. His peaceful expression brought a smile to both G'Na and Jack. Leaving Thete with Jack, G'Na took her daughter to a private room where she safely transform safely and then eat to restore her energy.

When Cass walked in to check her patient, the room was dim, quiet, and Thete was alone. At least K'Nar had joined the living. A quiet 'hi' came from Jack as he came back in with a cup of coffee and a donut. "I could get fat here if we stay much longer." He chuckled softly.

"We didn't expect him to sleep this long." Cass brushed Thete's hair back.

"G'Na thinks he was probably not as asleep as the scans say. She thinks even unconscious, in the deepest part of his mind, he was screaming against the dark."

"I guess that's one theory." Cass didn't look impressed. "What's her reason for K'Nar?"

"That's plain old-fashioned jet lag." Jack chuckled. "I mean, we did travel half way around the world, and she is just a kid."

"We'll never know if people can't let sick people sleep." A husky, raw voice interrupted. Cass and Jack both jumped to see a pair of bleary green eyes looking at them.

"I'll be damned; it's about time you woke up," Jack said gleefully.

"Welcome back, stranger." Cass immediately checked his chest for signs it still sounded clear, "How are you feeling?"

Thete stared in confusion at the two, but focused on the question. A slow grin crossed his face. "I feel fine. I don't hurt. Anywhere." He sounded surprised., "I don't even have a headache and I can," he took a deep breath with just a slight cough, "breathe. Where is everyone? Where's Hank?"

Cass and Jack grinned at each other. "I'll let you explain," Cass laughed quietly, "I need to call Doctor Wilson and Doctor Jones."

"Hey Doc, I am glad to see you awake."

"You can't remember a name at all, can you? What time is it?" He looked around the room obviously disoriented.

Jack laughed. "It's almost ten in the evening. Do you want a cup of tea or some water?"

"Water would be great," he said huskily, "Where's Hank and everybody? Where am I?"

"Its sort of a long story. Hank took everybody home because well, they were tired of watching you sleep." Jack grinned as he held the cup while Thete sucked the cup dry then laid his head back waiting for an explanation.

"You kinda had a seizure," Jack continued, "and Martha put you in a drug induced coma, and you have been unconscious for five days. Martha turned the drip off this morning, and we have waited all day for you to wake up. It's my turn to sit with you. Do you have any idea how boring it is to watch someone just - sleep?"

"I had a seizure?"

"Yeah, what do you remember, Doc?"

"I remember; I hate being called Doc," Thete answered huskily. Before he could say anything else, he smiled.

Jack watched as first confusion and then - as he tuned Jack out, recognition mixed with joy crossed Thete's face. Jack knew when his eyes began to sparkle, Thete was talking to K'Nar.

My Lord, you are awake. I was so worried about you.

Thete heard her as clearly as if she were in front of him. Where are you? Are you safe?

I'm fine. I'm here with my mother. Do you remember her? I have missed you, my Lord. Even mentally, she sounded elated.

K'Nar, I thought... I thought that they killed you."

Mother said; you can't remember anything except me. I only wanted to stop you from hurting. They hurt you so bad.

It's alright, child. It'll come back. I don't care about that place, I just care about you. Are you alright.

Yes, I am fine now that I am back with you. As soon as Mother knows, I will come to see you.

He looked up at Jack, grinning after she withdrew. "K'Nar is alive. She came back." It was obvious that the excitement over-rode his weariness.

Jack chuckled at Thete. "Yeah, she's alive, and she's safe. River and I went after her after your seizure. Before she comes in here, try to focus and tell me the last thing that you remember? We just need to know your brain is working."

Thete stared at him, struggling to find the answer. "I remember talking to you and then somebody laughed." His eyes narrowed, "I remember... They're going to hurt her." He looked at Jack with panic filled eyes. "

"Thete," Jack tried to keep his voice level and calm, but his worry went up a notch at the sound of panic in Thete's voice. This was where they had started.

"It's a trick, an hallucination. If she's real, where is she? She would be here by now."

"Listen to me now, Thete!"

Jack's stern voice snapped Thete back from the edge. When Thete looked back at him with less panic, Jack continued. "No one is hurting K'Nar. She is here. The woman who hurt both of you is in jail, and she is never going to hurt anyone ever again. I'll get K'Nar in here, but you need to stay cool, okay? They're next door with River, resting."

Jack pushed his chair back, and headed for the door, meeting Cass as she came in. "He's alright, Cass, just confused. I don't mean to be rude, but gives us awhile. I'm getting K'Nar and her Mum, and then we need some time. He's going to panic again if he doesn't see her."

Cass nodded. "Your friend Ianto is bringing Doctor Jones in. Hank is a little mad that they wouldn't let him come. Especially when I told them, Hank was the first name out of his mouth."

"Yeah, well give me an hour, and they can all come if this goes right."

Jack pounded instead of knocked on the women's door. A less than pleased River opened the door. From her tousled hair and bleary look, Jack guessed she'd been dozing unaware that K'Nar had communicated with Thete. The sound of the TV told him, they were catching up on the local entertainment.

"What, Jack?"

Jack made no effort to conceal both his glee or concern. "He's awake," he replied. "K'Nar called to him, and he answered her, but he's starting to panic, like before. He thinks that he's hallucinating."

"I'm ready, Captain." River and G'Na turned around stunned to see K'Nar bouncing with excitement after transforming to look human.

"K'Nar? You must tell me what you're doing," her mother fussed.

"I'm sorry, Mother, please," K'nar begged, crestfallen that her mother was upset. "I felt him awake - like I have always done. Please - let me go." She asked desperately. The strain to keep her self control intact was apparent even to the humans.

"Give us a moment, Captain." G'Na closed the door, opening a moment later as Madam G'Na. "I suppose, we are ready," she said with a tired smile.

Stepping back in Thete's room, Jack grinned at the sight of Thete fiddling with the remote. If they'd given him five more minutes; he'd probably make the bed fly. "Okay, Thete, heads up, you've got company," he announced as he stepped aside to let the women in.

The sight of her bond mate was stronger than all the words in the universe. K'Nar didn't care about decorum or much of anything else except the pale, fragile looking man lying propped up in the bed. To see him awake and grinning was more than a relief, it was a joy. Not caring what her mother or the humans thought, she practically flew across to his bed. She ignored her mother's admonition to stay calm as she clambered, straight into to his arms.

Both were oblivious to Jack and the two women who watched with aching hearts. G'Na's flamed red when they touched foreheads. It was an act of intimacy done only by bond mates and healers. For them, the act was as natural as breathing. In her excitement, K'Nar's shields dropped slightly, allowing her mother to catch some of what her daughter said as she chattered telepathically about her home and gardens, and how her mum would help him get well. She did not tell him about their bond.

G'Na hoped K'Nar would be brave. G'Na sent her daughter a mental message: Prepare him daughter; it will make things easier - for both of you. She glanced over at the two humans watching and with a heavy heart beckoned them to follow her. They would destroy their bond tonight. They would hold him down and once again rip his world apart. It was only right to give the two enough time to adjust after everything they had suffered.

It was the ultimate act of cruelty and betrayal to already fragile souls. Before allowing herself to give into her guilt, she made sure her shields were firmly in place. Maybe, she thought, I am the one that needs the time. I am so sorry that I have to hurt you, my daughter. I am so sorry that I have to hurt you both. I promise you; I will see to it that Varak pays for what he's done to you.

G'Na drew a breath and once more sent her daughter another message to prepare her, but she didn't respond. G'Na shook her head in despair. Accident or not, this was a stupid mistake that would take a long time to heal.

"Captain," she said softly ignoring their looks of concern, "you must bring Nela and Taska up here. When we break their bond, my daughter will need her support, and we will both need Taska's healing."

"Yes ma'am." Jack nodded and turned on his heels while G'Na and River headed to the lounge to wait for Martha's arrival. He returned minutes later with G'Na's assistant and a sleepy young teen. The two went straight for G'Na's room. G'Na was grateful her assistant had come. She needed the support of one of her own. Thirty minutes later, they all looked up to see the young doctor rushing off the elevator towards them.

"What's going on?" Martha asked as she reached them. "How much does he remember?" Her concern was plainly mixed with relief that he was awake.

"Nothing beyond K'Nar and coming here. We've left them alone to visit," River answered her.

"What are we going to do?" Martha asked.

"I'm afraid that when she spoke to him earlier, she actually strengthened their bond. They can - not move on like this. We have no choice. We must break their bond tonight," G'Na answered, "and connect him back to his ship. The longer we wait, the more difficult it will be for them both. Doctor Jones, when I break the bond, you must take K'Nar out to Nela and my assistant. She will be upset, and she will have a headache. Nela and Taska will comfort and care for her until I can get to her. Doctor Song, when we start you must hold his hand, and act as a channel for the TARDIS. Captain, you will restrain him as I reach into his mind. Once the bond is broken, the ship will send her energy, and then I will put him to sleep. In the morning, we will start putting the pieces of their lives back together. When they are well, I have a favour to ask."

Jack grinned at her, "Your Majesty, you can have anything I can get for you. Whatever you need, I will figure a way. What is it?"

The queen clenched her fists. All of the rage that she worked so hard to overcome now flooded through her. She was queen. She'd spent a lifetime controlling her emotions. She'd spent hours in prayer begging the Goddesses to help her overcome her abhorrence of Varak and the Continuum, and now it was back.

"I want you to take me to Regulus for the trial," G'Na replied. "My husband does not want us to go, but I want to see the evil that did this to my daughter. I want my daughter to see it destroyed. Then I want help to track down Varak. Vshak is not equipped, and the Shadow Proclamation will tear across the galaxy."

"Your Majesty." River took the Queen's delicate hands in hers, " Believe me, that won't be a problem. "

The Queen stepped back studying River's face and smiled. "No one will ever know, Doctor Song."

River gave her a puzzled look, then realised the Queen knew what she and Jack had done.

o0o

The four outsiders stood in the doorway of Thete's room just watching K'Nar cuddle next to her Lord. The four just managed to keep their expressions neutral. At that moment, the four weren't sure how they could live with committing the ultimate act of betrayal. The two survivors lay in each others arms. Oblivious to their presence, their expressions radiated joy at being together. Thete had no idea why his joy at seeing K'Nar was so profound or why he felt as if mud were washing away from his brain.

Tears brimmed G'Na's eyes. She mentally chided K'Nar for failing to tell her Lord what was about to happen. The guilty look on her daughter's face when she glanced over nearly sent the normally stoic queen to her knees. Life and criminals had placed her in an untenable situation. She was about to cause untold misery to someone fresh out of coma who was just starting to feel alive. She sent a prayer to the Goddesses for forgiveness, and that he survived what they were going to do.

The sweet innocence and a goofy grin on his face when he saw them clenched their stomachs. "Martha." he beamed when he saw her. "This is K'Nar. Isn't she brilliant? She's alive, and I have her back. I have her back."

"Yeah - she is," Martha answered. "Thete, this is K'Nar's mother, her Majesty Queen G'Na LLew. To make things easy, it's Madam G'Na. She was here this morning; do you remember?"

Thete shook his head and looked at K'Nar with surprise written all over his goofy expression, "You're a princess? You never said."

"It wasn't important, my Lord." She smiled. "When you're well, you can come see our palace and walk in the gardens."

"My Lord, we must talk to you." G'Na swallowed hard at his immediate look of worry and distrust. "K'Nar is fine. She is safe and well protected. I promise that no one will ever harm her again. When we received word that you were ill, we came as soon as we could - to help undo a mistake."

"What mistake?" Thete reflexively pulled K'Nar closer.

"You were badly hurt and asked K'Nar to help you protect something. Do you remember that?"

Thete stared at her in confusion and shook his head. "I don't remember anything, but her being there, in that place."

"It's alright," G'Na answered gently. "I am going to help you remember. I am ... a healer. K'Nar will be one when she grows up. But, she isn't grown, and when she tried to help you, she made a serious mistake. That mistake has caused you immense pain. It took away your memory and left your thinking cloudy.

"Mother..." K'Nar sobbed.

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?" Thete pulled K'Nar closer.

G'Na noted that he put his cast between her and K'Nar. She had no doubt that he would use it as a weapon to protect her daughter. "My Lord, what do you remember?" she asked gently.

Thete shook his head. "I remember that I hate people asking me that question," he answered tersely. His expression changed and softened. G'Na felt her daughter tell him to be kind.

Thete drew a breath and answered, "I remember getting beaten; hurting so much and I remember her gentleness. Thinking - just got... hard. I remember when she was around, it was ... easier."

"That's because you are both telepaths. K'Nar is a brilliant telepath, but she is untrained. You asked K'Nar to help you protect your ship. Your shields were down, and you were terribly lonely and in tremendous pain. As a telepath cut off from other telepaths for so long, you reached out to the first strong telepath that you met. That was K'Nar. Until her kidnapping, K'Nar has never been cut off from other minds leaving her terribly frightened. She hid her skills from her captors, forcing them to believe she was a mind-blind, but she met you and the two of you - talked.

"Wait - what are you talking about?" He was totally confused.

"You are a telepath," G'Na said slower. "You were badly hurt. K'Nar tried to help by entering your mind to strengthen your shields, but you latched onto each other. But in your weakened state, with your shields gone, K'Nar saw your name, your real name. You intertwined - bonded as one -as mates. She left a symbol of the connection between you, and you have clung to it with all your strength. When you were forced apart, it was too much for your mind to handle. Badly hurt, without your memories and shields to protect you; you shut down to a barely functioning child."

The confused look on his face broke her heart. G'Na looked at the humans in the room. Silent tears traced down the cheeks of all four. Nothing in her life prepared her for this. She turned back to see complete confusion in Thete's eyes. "I know how hard all this is for you, but try to search your mind. Try to understand." G'Na said.

"Yes, right, absolutely. No - no, I don't. I don't understand what you want. She's a bloody child, and she's my friend. I am not a child stealer." His joy turned first to panic, and then to anger.

"Go away - all of you. My head is splitting. This isn't right." Thete began to hyperventilate as he clung protectively to a sobbing K'Nar.

"My Lord, this wasn't your fault." G'Na tried to reassure him and defend her daughter. "K'Nar didn't intend for this to happen. She tapped into your deep-seated loneliness, but I have to break that connection."

"You're making her cry! Go away!"

"I am so very sorry, Lord; this isn't fair to either of you, but I have no choice." G'Na felt as much an abuser as the people who had tortured him.

"You want to take her from me. You want to rip her away! I won't let you!" Thete's voice shook. "No, I just found her! I won't let you take her away from me again!" Thete buried his head in her neck. "K'Nar what happened, what did you do?"

"You were hurt, and you wanted so much to go home." K'Nar sobbed. "I planted a link, so we could communicate, but we accidentally bonded - as mates."

"You mean friends?" Thete couldn't absorb what she was saying.

"No, Lord. It was an accident, but I initiated - the marriage bond. I turned off what makes you not human so you could hide, and then..."

"You're a child, I can't... Wait, what do you mean - I'm not human? If I'm not human... what am I? This isn't real. I'm dreaming, God, this isn't real. K'Nar, tell me, you're real."

"My Lord," K'Nar clutched his hand to her face, "I am real: see, feel my hand." She sobbed.

"K'Nar, don't let them take you from me, please. You can fix it right?"

"My Lord, I..." K'Nar sobbed.

"She cannot, my Lord." G'Na answered firmly. "I cannot permit it. K'Nar is a child. I must protect her, and I must protect you from her. She is brilliant, but right now, she is an untrained, traumatised child. I must break this bond for both your sakes."

"No - no - no! Everybody takes things away from me!" He used his cast to push G'Na away while he increased his grip on K'Nar. "I keep trying, and I lose. I lose everything. Not this time, you can't."

"Mother, please, I can fix this." K'Nar begged as her Mother pulled her off the bed.

"Please, she is all I have! I won't let you. Hank!" he screamed as loud as his hoarse, weakened voice would allow. "Get out of here!" He batted at G'Na's hands as she stopped his attempt to grab K'Nar's hand. "No. No ... I'm not letting you do this. Nan, please ... help me! Don't let her do this to me." His joy turned to fury.

"Captain." G'Na leaned back. They all had tears running down their faces. "Doctor Jones, take K'Nar out."

"No! K'Nar, no! " He screamed as Martha pulled the girl away from the bed.

"Doc, I'm really sorry." Jack came over and sat down, "River, hold his hand."

"Mother, please - don't. You're scaring him. Please, Mother. Let me help. I. Won't. Go!" K'Nar tried to twist from Martha's grasp as the doctor pulled her from the room.

"No! K'Nar!" Thete tried to sit on his hand, "Stop it. No! Sarah!" He arched away as she pulled his hand out. He slapped her, and then swung his cast at Jack, connecting with his nose. Blood splattered as he fought to prevent anyone from touching his face.

"Damn Doc - that hurt!" Jack leaned against him, pinning him to the bed while River secured his head allowing G'Na to place her fingers on his temples. With her daughter's voice echoing in her head, she forced her mind into his, easily steam rolling over the mental blocks he through up in defence. She pushed through until she found him, screaming and begging her to go away. He turned his back to her in a vain attempt to protect his image of K'Nar.

"I'm so sorry." G'Na attempted to flood him with peace.

She grabbed the thin red line and yanked easily snatching the glowing balloon from his hand crashing him into the darkness. He screamed in horror as she destroyed the link to K'Nar. G'Na immediately flooded the cave with the light of her own energy. The sight of the terrified boy on his knees in grief at the sudden loss of a connection that he had clung to for so long tore at her soul. His screams filled her mind as she felt his body buck against the bed. The rush of adrenaline did little to help his weakened body fight against the healthy adults holding him down.

"Now, Doctor Song!" G'Na ordered. River placed her hands on his face and good hand and opened her mind to the TARDIS who immediately flooded her Thief with golden energy pouring through River. It poured out of her hands and eyes, back in his mind. G'Na guided the energy to switch the deactivated sections of his brain back on. It would be days before the damaged areas would be healed, but at least it was a start.

Thete's struggle ended abruptly. Soaked with sweat, he dropped against the bed as artron energy raced through his mind, finally settling into the form of a woman. G'Na watched in fascination as the frightened child stood to face the strange, dishevelled woman who held her arms out to him and began singing She guided him to the woman until he fell into her arms. G'Na watched strands of the golden energy weave in, around, and through them as he began to transform back into a young man. She watched him collapse into the woman's arms. Before she withdrew, she placed him in a deep state of sleep. She felt as if she'd committed the ultimate act of betrayal against her daughter and watched a miracle all in the same instant.

Martha stopped an anxious Cass from entering, reassuring her that he was alright. She told her that Thete had his first session and had a flashback, but that he was quiet now. She was incredibly glad that the Munsons and Nan Carson were all safely at home and blissfully unaware of his pain.

The remaining three stood back watching in fascination as artron energy began glowing around the injured Time Lord's head. Gold shined through his closed eyes Slowly, it dissipated, his face relaxed and he looked at peace. They left the Time Lord sleeping. Now the real work would begin. G'Na left the room to tend to her wounded daughter whose agony screamed in her head.

o0o

Two guilt ridden, enraged friends stared down at Thete's sleeping face. River lovingly kissed Thete's forehead and then looked at Jack who leaned over and did the same. "Just - sleep, Doc. I'm - so sorry." Jack reached an arm around River's trembling shoulders and pulled her close.

Her voice dripped with venom. "How's your nose?"

"It's fine, I've had worse," Jack answered, sounding as if he had a sudden cold. "Why?"

"I have unfinished business. Do you want to come?" River stepped away, keyed in a set of coordinates into her vortex manipulator and reached for his hand tucking it safely in hers A millisecond later, the two disappeared in a flash of light.

"Where are we?" Jack asked as they materialised in the shadows of a concrete building.

"Tbril, it's the Stormcage of the 42nd century. Ten years to the second after I gave NaV0 the drink," River answered with a cold, bitter tone.

Using the sonic screwdriver, River disabled the camera and then stepped from the shadows. "Hello Nashta Vorron, I came back to keep a promise," River snarled through a forced smile.

An older woman in prison grey turned to face her. A look of horror crossed her face. "No... You can't, I have rights," She shouted as a wave of pain ripped through her head. Blood trickled from her nose as she collapsed on the floor screaming.

A bitter smile crossed River's face as she and Jack stepped into the shadows and disappeared. When the guards found their prisoner, she was mindless and blind. The last thing she saw or heard was a ten-year old nightmare named River Song.


	38. Chapter 38 Putting the Broken Together

**_A/N: These chapters have been fleshed out. Just a warning: this chapter contains a scene where the Doctor remembers being assaulted. _**

_o0o_

_The Doctor stared up at the mass of wiring and cables hanging over his head, trying to remember when he started maintenance work or why he had a mallet in his hand. He had a massive headache made worse by a light so bright that he had to squeeze his eyes shut to ease the nauseating pain. He wasn't supposed to have headaches. He didn't get headaches, especially one this bad. He raised his right hand to feel for bumps only to discover he was too weak to do more than lay it across his chest. He tried his left hand only to clunk himself in the head with a cast. How did a cast get on his hand? What happened to the mallet that was just there? Amy and Rory had to be somewhere close. Maybe Sexy should find them. He didn't think he had the strength to climb out from under the console to get to the med bay._

"Damn it!" were the first mumbled words the Doctor spoke in the thirteen hours since G'Na had broken his bond with K'Nar. His eyes tightly closed, he groaned as consciousness returned.

G'Na, Amy and Rory all jumped at the unexpected profanity. "Doctor, can you hear me?" Rory asked. "Do you know where you are?"

"Rory, please don't shout. Cor blimey, I have a terrible hangover! How did I get pissed? I don't remember getting pissed," he moaned as he tried to roll over.

Rory and Amy looked each other grinning from ear to ear. He recognised Rory's voice.

Now it was Amy's turn. She kept her voice as low and gentle as possible. "Doctor, you're not drunk. You're in hospital. Can you open your eyes and look at us?"

"Amy, tell Sexy to turn the lights off."

"You're in hospital; open your eyes."

Confused, Thete cracked open one eye and immediately shut it again. "Amy? Amy ... my head. My head is killing me. What happened? Was I in an accident? Did I regenerate?"

"Yes, you were sort of in an accident and no you haven't regenerated. You've been really, really sick. Don't you remember? You're in Kentucky - in hospital."

"Hank, I remember Hank. Amy?"

"Yes?"

"Sick ... gonna be sick."

"I'll get Abby and Martha." Amy ran, leaving Rory and G'Na to hold his head as he immediately rolled over and emptied his stomach.

o0o

"Thete, follow my finger," Martha ordered as she examined him. "Good, now squeeze my fingers. Okay, touch the finger of your right hand to your nose." Martha smiled at him as he failed both tests.

"Martha, why is my head hurting? Why can't I raise my hand right?" His words were slightly slurred.

"Abby is going to give you something for your headache. You had a seizure, and you have been really sick. Do you remember what happened?"

"No, where's Hank?" He cracked his eyes slightly, trying to focus, but couldn't stand the light. "I dreamt K'Nar was here. I thought that I heard her," he mumbled.

"It wasn't a dream. She is here. She is safe and very worried about you. Her mum is with her. Do you remember meeting her?"

"No, where is K'Nar? Did she hurt her?"

"No, Thete, I promise that she is OK, but I need you to focus for me, okay? Do you remember how you know her?"

"She was with me in that hell-hole. God, make my head stop hurting." He swallowed thickly. "Turn the damn lights off!"

"We did, the curtains are closed too. As soon as you have had your medicine, I'm going to let K'Nar sit with you while I talk to everyone, OK?"

"Please."

Martha looked up at a worried group and watched as Abby medicated him.

Ten minutes after Abby gave him a dose of Demerol and Phenergan, the Doctor dozed as he clutched K'Nar's hand. The four companions and G'Na surrounded Martha while she studied the latest bio-scan. After several minutes, she looked at the frustrated group and sighed. She had not expected what the scanner results told her.

"We have two problems; one, he's developed acute regeneration sickness. The best I can figure, in her eagerness to re-bond, the TARDIS flooded him with so much energy that it has overwhelmed the deactivated sections of his brain. It's triggered a massive inflammatory response. Two, there is also evidence of a small bleed, which is why he has a right-sided weakness and his speech is a little slurred."

"You mean, he's had a stroke?" Rory asked in disbelief. "Can anything else possibly go wrong?"

"You must be kidding." Jack smacked the wall in his frustration. "Can he regenerate yet?"

"Probably, but we're not killing him to find out, Jack! I have to say, I didn't see this one coming." Martha was as frustrated as the rest of them. "Everything that I read on the TARDIS about Time Lord physiology says this happens only after a traumatic regeneration. He doesn't show any signs of regenerating, and his shoulder and wrist fracture haven't healed. His pneumonia is nearly resolved but not any different from yesterday. It's a strictly neurological response."

"Now, what do we do?" Amy joined her husband beside Jack.

We need a regular CAT for the American's records. We'll keep him quiet and calm while I go back to the TARDIS to see if there is something I missed. The Munsons and Nan are on the way in. Let K'Nar stay with him. Between her and Hank, they should keep him calm. At least," Martha flashed a smile at Amy and Rory, "he recognized you two and sort of remembered the TARDIS - at least for a minute."

It was impossible for the group not to smile when they all walked back into Thete's room. K'Nar had curled up next to him as close as possible, stroking his head. Even asleep he clung to her hand. Martha took a deep breath to force down the panic that threatened to overwhelm them all. As she left his room and headed for the TARDIS, she wished for two things. First, that this whole mess could be reversed with a fob watch and second that the knot in her stomach would go away. Hopefully the ship would help her devise a treatment plan. She wished that, just once, they could catch a break.

o0o

"Doc," Hank stood up when Wilson walked in with the Cat Scan results.

"It looks like our boy is still asleep," Wilson nodded.

"Doctor," G'Na rose quietly to greet the human healer. "What did your tests show?

"Basically, Doctor Jones is correct. Thete's unusual vascular system has reared it's ugly head again. The bleed is a small one, and I think it will resolve without trouble. I did not find any evidence of an obstruction or an aneurysm. He is going to have a headache, and we will need to do aggressive therapy. Madam G'Na I am afraid your part will have to wait a few days. How is your daughter coping?"

"She is still tired, and she still doesn't understand why all this has happened, but my associate is working with her. We agreed before we came that she would handle K'Nar's therapy."

"Well, Hank, Sarah, Nan, you three try not to worry. This boy is a tough a cookie."

Wilson walked over to his favourite patient and gently shook him. "Come on son, open those eyes for an old man."

Thete barely opened his eyes. "Doc" where's Hank and my mums?" The words came out slurred and thick.

"There right here. I see you found K'Nar?"

"Brilliant, huh?"

"Yes it is, go back to sleep," Wilson said as he finished examining Thete.

Thete's eyes closed as he immediately returned to sleep. It was late afternoon before he finally opened his eyes to look at his Americans with a pair of bleary eyes.

"Hey, you, it's about time." Hank smiled with relief.

"Hey, you back. Where are Nan and Sarah?" Thete's weak voice trembled.

"We're right here, Hon." Both women rushed to his side. "How's your headache?" Nan asked.

"It's better. Can I have tea?"

Sarah smiled. "We'll get you that and some pudding. You like banana pudding."

Hank smiled at the two worried women as they left and then turned back, " Those two have been worried sick about you, young man." He turned back and rubbed Thete's hand. "They aren't the only ones. You are a tough act to keep together."

"I'm sorry, Hank. I guess, I keep getting it wrong."

"I'm just glad you're awake and can talk to me. Do you understand what happened today?"

"I woke up, threw up and passed out because I ..." he replied uncertainly.

"Close enough; you had a sort of stroke. That's why your hand is weak and your speech is a little thick. I gotta say, you have the constitution of a bull. You keep getting knocked down for the count, and you keep dragging yourself back up."

Thete closed his eyes in frustration. "Am I ever going to get out of here?"

"Yep, too many women want to mother you. Now little K'Nar is here. You have to get well or get turned into a dress up doll. I don't think you would do well as a dress-up doll. Besides, you need to get out of here so I can take you fishing." Hank chuckled. "So," he continued with a more serious tone, "I heard that you had some memories come back. Want to share?"

"You are the closest thing to a dad I've had in a long time. I wish you were my dad," Thete answered plaintively.

"Does that mean you don't want to share?"

Thete snorted. Every time he opened his eyes someone asked what he remembered. He wished they'd stop. "I ... we ... Amy, Rory and me. We were in Venice. Rory played Gondola driver. We visited this castle that ..." Thete half-remembered and smiled, "It was supposed to have vampires, in the fifteenth century. They had these girls pretending to be vampires. I remember: Amy and I went to Stonehenge with River. Rory didn't come that time."

Hank smiled. "Amy told me that story. She said Romans were her favourite subject in school and that Rory showed up and surprised her when he dressed up as one. She said that you and River went horseback riding."

Thete looked at him, confused. "I - - don't remember how I met River. I like her - - a lot, I think."

"Anything else?" Hank encouraged him gently.

"Yeah, I remember dancing ... at their wedding. Demons Run." he sounded unsure. "I went to Demons Run. I can't remember where it is, but people there took Amy's baby. I don't remember her actually having a baby, but I remember promising her that I would find her. It was a girl; I remember that and I promised to bring her back, but I didn't. They were my two best friends, and I couldn't save their baby, how can they forgive that? I think that I've lost my two best friends." He sounded utterly lost.

Hank smiled gently and pushed Thete's hair back out of his face. "What else do you remember?"

"K'Nar." The bleary look left. "I remember K'Nar holding my hand, but then they made her leave. Her mother - made her leave. I could breathe again."

"You mean last night after you woke up?"

"I think so?"

"Martha said that you got upset and thought she was being hurt again, so that made her leave until things settle down. But she has stayed with you most of the day. Her mom took her to lay down awhile ago. To use your word, she's knackered."

"I - - guess. She made that place bearable, Hank. I can't let anything happen to her; I have to keep her safe. I know, I promised that I would take her home. She was with me and then I was alone in the alley with you. Don't let anything happen to her, promise Hank."

"I promise, son. You know her mum is here and Jack - do you remember Jack and Martha, or living in Cardiff?"

"I lived in Cardiff? Wales - why?" He sounded surprised and unsure that could even possibly be true. "I don't ... I don't remember anything before we went to Venice. Hank - I can't remember how I even met Amy and Rory. It's like they were just - there. It's like looking through mud trying to sort it out." When he looked up at Hank, frustration and fear had replaced the bleary look in Thete's eyes."I just know I have to protect K'Nar. Help me - - please."

"Take it easy; I mean it was just one session. No one thought you would wake up, see K'Nar and poof you would be cured. We are not letting anything happen to her or you. At least part of your memory is back. Now, what makes you think Amy and Rory don't want to be friends? They travelled half way around the world to find you. They've worried after you just as must as you have for K'Nar. They've been here for a week helping to look after you."

"A week, but they just came. I remember, they just came."

"They came a week ago, then you took a nose dive on us. Remember, we told you that you were in a coma for a week." Hank stroked his hand to keep him calm.

"Why would they stay if I didn't keep my word? I didn't find their baby." He sounded as if it should have been obvious to Hank.

"They were right." Hank sat back and shook his head.

"Sorry, who was right about what?" Thete's eyebrows knitted together, giving him a befuddled look.

"The night we almost lost you, I sat and talked to those three friends of yours. They love you so much. They were scared to death you weren't going to make it. Although Rory did say, and I quote: _he__ can be a right pain in the arse_. They also said you would blame yourself for everything that happened. It seems that you think that you have to fix things, and if it doesn't work, it's your fault. Thete - - son, you are not God. He hasn't abdicated his job and given control of the universe to you."

"I don't think, I believe in God, Hank."

"Well - - maybe you should give it a try. It might make your headaches better. I'm going to bring Amy and Rory in, and you three are going to talk. Might send River in too. You talk to them about what you do remember. You talk in that ancient Greek you and River seem to know. Hell, I don't care if it's gibberish, but talk to them. Don't worry about what happened after this place called Demons Run. Eventually, you will remember it. When you're done, you will work with Doctor Llew and the other therapists, and you will get well. Oh, and one more thing - no pudding till you talk to your friends," He said with a chuckle.

"Yes, Dad." He gave Hank a weak, lopsided grin.

o0o

Thete dreaded seeing Amy and Rory. The thought of what they'd say scared him. His memory had so many holes that it felt like a sieve. It didn't help that his head still hurt. What if they asked questions that he couldn't answer. What if they hated him because he couldn't answer a question? He didn't think he could bear having them hate him.

"Hey, you." Amy smiled as she and Rory came back in the room. "Hank says we are not allowed to play until we catch you up."

"He also said you have this dumb idea we're mad at you." Rory set down a cup of tea and got out a spiral, TARDIS blue straw.

Thete grinned, and then felt tears threaten to spill over. "I'm so sorry," he swallowed, but he couldn't look either of his friends in the eye. "I'm really so very sorry."

"Doctor," Amy dropped the rail of his bed and sat down. Tears stung her eyes. "I'm not huggin' first."

o0o

Hank kept everyone, including Madam G'Na and K'Nar, away from Thete's room for the next hour. He told them that he was exercising his parental authority. He even stopped Abby, telling her that if Thete needed something, Rory would call.

Finally, an hour later, Rory came back out for fresh tea. "They're going to be fine." He smiled at Hank. "Thanks, we had a good chat."

"Did you talk about what he remembers?" Jack stood next to River with a cup of coffee.

"Yep. But it's not much. He remembers us, but, I'm sorry, Jack, he's still not to sure of you and Martha, but he does accept the fact that you're his uncle. And he knows his home base is in Cardiff, he just doesn't know why. For some reason, he thought it would be Ireland; but he couldn't explain. Mostly, we talked about private stuff that has nothing to do with what happened. If he and Amy want to share, it is up to them. He is really wiped, and his head is hurting, but he needs to see K'Nar; he's really missing her. He's worried we're not looking after her properly. River, you need to take him a cup of tea, you need to talk too."

River nodded and went to join her mother only to return a minute later with the news that he'd fallen asleep mid word with Amy.

"So, what now?" Jack looked at G'Na.

"We start his therapy tomorrow," she answered, "and I try to figure out how to reassure both he and my daughter that they can be away from each other with nothing bad happening. So far, that seems to be a difficult thing for them both. She spent her session with my assistant in tears. She thinks he won't be safe unless she is with him."

"She doesn't think this is her fault, does she?" Hank asked.

"I'm afraid she does."

Hank shook his head. "No wonder their attached; they both have guilt complexes bigger than Texas," he muttered as he headed for a fresh cup of coffee

"Why doesn't he remember more?" Jack asked after Hank had left. "You broke the bond, and undid what K'Nar did so ..."

"Captain, his brain is physically injured. It must heal and the trauma to his psyche is severe. I can't snap my fingers and cure him. Right now, his identity and life are a story that you have told him, one which for now, he must believes. That's where we start. As I said yesterday, this could take weeks just to help him remember who he truly is." G'Na sounded as if she were speaking to a child.

"I told you, Jack," Rory added, "he didn't want to be him anymore. We need to help him know that being him is OK."

"Right," Jack muttered in frustration as he followed Hank.

o0o

They spent the rest of the day watching Thete doze fitfully. When her mother finally let her come KNar smiled shyly at the people in the room then cuddled next to her Lord. It still stunned everyone to watch him curl into her and immediately become still. They realised now why he calmed down when someone stroked his head. They watched him lay perfectly still as K'Nar sang a strange tune as she stroked his head. Other than smiling shyly at them, she ignored their presence. During his short periods awake, Jack and the others regaled him with the stories that they had intended to share the first night of their arrival. Some sounded familiar, but mostly, he nodded politely, and pretended to remember. G'Na paid close attention to his ability to stay focused, but it was obvious that his head still hurt enough that it made following the conversation difficult. He perked up more when his rescuers told about their lives and families. He didn't have to think so much when they talked.

Beyond barely remembering K'Nar cuddling with him, he showed no signs of remembering the events of the night before. And for that, his companions and, G'Na were grateful. Remembering that trauma would have destroyed what little trust he had in the Brits. Despite the destruction of their bond, his worry for K'Nar was intense. His eyes searched for her every time he woke up. Every time she left the room, his heart rates went up, and his breathing quickened in obvious fear for her safety. G'Na was beginning to wonder if her attempt to break the bond had succeeded. She scanned her daughter and found no evidence that she had tried to re-establish a link. As soon as they were alone, she would scan him. Hopefully this was just a holdover from their captivity and easily resolved.

"Hey," Jack checked his wristband when Martha walked back. "It's after five. We were beginning to think you absconded home."

"Funny, Jack"

"What did you find out?" River walked in behind her with a fresh cup of tea.

"I have a patch the ship provided." Martha walked over to the bedside and injected a blue solution into Thete's IV line. "According to what the ship showed me, this should slow the artron absorption to a trickle, and give his cells a chance to adjust. It is also a powerful anti-inflammatory which will help the headaches. It would slow down his over-all healing, though."

"So what did you find out about regeneration sickness?" Amy asked.

"Nothing different. I did discover his last regeneration, he had an episode. Maybe this is something he's prone to? This drug should give G'Na time to help him rebuild his walls."

"One can only hope," G'Na interrupted as she walked in. "Will this medicine keep him sleepy until morning?"

"I can keep him that way." Martha replied.

"Then we should. As long as K'nar or your friends stay at his bedside, he will sleep. Hopefully, my daughter will realise that he will be safe here, and tomorrow ... tomorrow we start. There is so much work to do."

o0o

One week after waking up with the worst headache of his life, Thete sat in the wheelchair staring glumly at the gray November sky. Days filled with almost constant therapy left him little time to think of the things that he couldn't remember. From the time he opened his eyes in the morning until he fell asleep exhausted, someone had him doing something. He hated it.

This morning, he'd barely opened his eyes after a restless night when his physical therapist walked in. Thete nick-named the man Sam the torturer. He had the honour of replacing Bertha the Dragon lady as the disgruntles time lord's least favourite staff member. Thete had hardly growled a hello before Sam forced him from the comfort of his bed. For the next thirty minutes, the therapist made him stretch his stiff shoulders, squeeze a stupid ball to strengthen his hand, and raise his arms up as far as he could, which truth be told, wasn't very far. He had at least gained some control over his arms, although the right one still fell when he lowered it. Just as, Thete thought that he was finished, the man placed a stupid walker in front of him and made him walk. Thete was ashamed that he barely shuffled six steps before collapsing exhausted into the wheelchair.

He'd barely caught his breath when the occupational therapist came and made him brush his teeth and slather shaving cream on his face. They wouldn't let him shave out of fear that he would cut himself. There he was; a grown man who could barely brush his teeth and couldn't hold a toothbrush without his hand shaking. He wasn't just frustrated; he was angry and ashamed. Yet, whenever they asked how he felt, he smiled and told them that he was fine.

He missed Nan, Hank and Sarah. The Brits and K'Nar's mother replaced them for most of the day, and he hated it. His common sense told him that they weren't abandoning him, but he missed his adopted family desperately. He watched as the clock counted down until the two o'clock hour visiting hour when he would see them walk through the door.

And then, Madam G'Na came topping off a truly lousy morning. She said what they were doing was hypnosis, but he swore that he could feel her traipsing through his head. He didn't like the feeling. He did admit that he was starting to remember a few things. Yesterday, he remembered the name of Amy and Rory's baby. It was Melody. He remembered that he held her just once. He could remember the weight of her in his arms as she curled her tiny finger around his, but then she disappeared into a black abyss.

That memory was enough to trigger overwhelming guilt when he looked in Amy's eyes later in the day. He'd overheard Amy tell Rory something about how direct eye contact seemed to unsettle him. Evidently he was too big a coward to look them in the eye. He had noticed that he tended to go quiet when they shared stories. The rest of the day, they sat next to him instead of in front while they talked about silly things. He had to admit, at least to himself that, he was grateful for that.

G'Na spent an hour this morning trying to help him understand that the loss of Melody wasn't his fault, but it was, and he knew it. He just couldn't remember why. Thete scrubbed his hand over his face as he watched a hawk fly low over the field behind the hospital. He wished that he could be like that hawk and fly away from it all.

To make things worse, ever since the woman left, something was sitting just out of sight, on the edge of his memory. The thing niggled at him, leaving him feeling scared; no - not scared - angry. The anger gave him an intense desire to hurt someone - - to pay them back. He just couldn't quite bring the who into focus, or even what they had done. But they had done something to him, something really bad. Thete's desperate wish that K'Nar would come back added to his frustration. He couldn't very well ask a child to protect him. He glanced up at the wall clock. It was barely eleven in the morning. It would be hours before Hank, Sarah and Nan would be here. He wanted them here now; to protect him from the monsters inside his aching head. _God_, he thought as he stared out the window, _if you're real, can you please make this all stop._

"Hey, you," Martha called from the door.

"What do you want?" he asked, not particularly caring that he sounded rude. He had no interest in dealing with her, but he used his feet to push himself around to look at her.

"I came to check up on you. Madam G'Na said you might need something for a headache. She said your session this morning was rough. You do look a bit knackered."

"Did she? You know, I don't really need her anymore. Jack should take her home."

"You want K'Nar to leave?" Martha sounded stunned. "You barely tolerate her being in the next room when her Mum is in here or when the other therapists come. By the way," she said lightly, "you will start going downstairs for physiotherapy this afternoon. You need to get out of this room."

"I didn't say I wanted K'Nar to leave. She belongs with me." Thete almost snarled the words. "I said; I don't - need -her- mother. And why can't I stay up here? I don't want people staring at me because I can't get my arms above my head."

"Wow, you are a bit grumpy, aren't you? I hate to add to it, but you know that K'Nar belongs with her family. Are you angry for any particular reason or just getting around to showing us, your true stubborn streak? You never were very good at doing what you were told," she teased him. "I think that I like that. You're starting to act more like - well you.. Maybe you're even getting a little of your fire back."

"I'm not grumpy, or angry, and I don't have any fire!" he answered hotly. "I just want K'Nar to come back, and that woman who calls herself, her mother to leave. I have that right, don't I?!"

"Yes - you do, but since your very best memory thus far is what - leaving Demons Run and dancing at Amy's wedding, it isn't happening," Martha answered a little stronger. "You still don't remember the vast majority of your life. So, as your doctor, I have to say: too bad. You are just out of luck. K'Nar is with her own therapist at the moment, and Madam G'Na stays." Martha sounded like the doctor and friend that she was, even if he didn't appreciate her at the moment.

"So does the art therapist," she continued, "the physical therapist, the nutritionist, and everyone else we need to get you well enough to go home. Speaking of nutritionists, why aren't you eating?"

Thete just glared. "I'm not hungry; hospital food is awful." He turned back to stare out at the gray sky. It looked like he felt.

"I'd believe that, but you're not eating the food Sarah and Nan bring either. You just pick at it," Martha answered gently as she moved next to his chair.

"I told you; I'm not hungry. Martha, could you just run your bloody scan or whatever it is you want, and leave me alone!"

Martha smiled, muttered something along the line of bloody prat, and ran the scan. She kept her expression professional as she read the results. His energy levels were still spiking too high as his brain continued to heal. Dark spots still showed up in the areas K'Nar had turned off. Martha didn't understand why they hadn't healed by now and worried the spikes were contributing to his cranky behaviour.

"I'm not leaving you alone, and you will cooperate with Madam G'Na." Martha ordered gently as she lowered the scanner, hiding her concern.

"And if I don't?" He challenged back.

"Then Jack and Rory will hold you down, and she will enter your head anyway," she teased.

"You wouldn't dare!" His head snapped up with sudden rage in his voice.

Martha did a double take at his over-reaction. "Thete, calm down. I was just kidding."

"Hey, I can hear you guys in the hall, Jack teased as he came through the door. "Is this a private party or can anyone join in the fun?"

"Martha threatened me," Thete answered hotly.

"Martha would never do that, would you Doctor Jones?"

Martha shot a concerned look at Jack but kept her voice light. "He doesn't want to do therapy with Madam G'Na," she explained.

"Well, that isn't happening, is it?"

"So, I'm a prisoner - - your prisoner, just like in that bloody cell?" He snarled at them. "You think you can force me to do what you want. You think that I will ever let that happen again! You're not any better than she was." His voice grew louder.

Jack and Martha shot stunned looks at each other.

"Thete, calm down," Martha said quietly. "What did you just say?"

Thete ignored her question as he ranted at the people in front of him. "Nobody is getting inside my head; it's my head. I am not going back to being in a cell for morons to beat the universe out of me! If I am a prisoner, why don't you just strap me across a table and do it again?"

"Martha, go get G'Na - now," Jack ordered.

"You're not touching me," Thete snarled as she left. "No one is going to touch me again. I'm stronger: I can fight back! I will fight back. I know aikido... Venusian aikido."

"Doc, listen to me. Where are you?" Jack ignored the threat; keeping his tone gentle. "Right now, what place is this? "

Thete was no longer angry, but wild eyed, trying desperately to figure out his escape. He stood on wobbly legs and shoved the wheelchair away. He ignored the urge to collapse in his effort to get to the bathroom. He forced his legs to move as he made his way around the edge of the room. The bathroom was his safety zone. Once there, he would lock himself on the other side. It would take them a good while before they could get in and by then he'd find a weapon. Fury roared through him when Jack stepped between him and the door, effectively blocking his escape.

"You keep her the bloody hell away from me!" he yelled when he saw G'Na. "All of you: stay the bloody hell away from me! I will kill you if you come near me!" Thete screamed at them.

"Captain, we need to hold him." G'Na came in so quietly that neither man noticed her until she spoke.

"You - will - not - touch - me!" Thete snarled.

"Doctor, answer the Captain's question. Where are you?" G'Na ordered.

"Go to bloody hell! You will not make me do that again. You people keep saying I was attacked; that I was brutalised. I wasn't brutalised or mugged, or anything else. I was bloody..." The memory that had niggled at him all morning flooded back.

"Oh God, they put me over a table. I can smell them." Thete's dropped to the floor as his legs buckled underneath him.

"The liquor... I can smell it - - on their breath. _Do__ you like it, little man? You will do it whenever we tell you, little man. It's so much fun, look boys, he's already spilling his cum. Open your mouth little man. _I did it. " The look of horror on his face nearly sent Jack to his knees. "They hit me over and over again, and then - - I did it. I opened my mouth." Thete continued, his breath came in heaves as he began to wretch. "He put it in my mouth. And I ... his mess ... Die, K'Nar why didn't you let me die? I planned it. Aspirin, I want a bottle of aspirin," Thete begged desperately. "Why can't I see their faces?"

Tears spilled down his cheeks. Thete was no longer aware that there was anyone else in the room. His whole body shook as he began pounding his head with his cast. He didn't see the two people who rushed to stop him from hurting himself, or feel G'Na place her hands at his temples. He didn't see their tear streaked faces as G'Na closed her eyes to enter into the swirling mass of horror that was rocking Thete to his core.

He was not strong enough to deal with this. G'Na pushed past his weakened shields shoving the memory securely behind a heavy, black door. Once the memory was securely hidden, G'Na sent one more instruction into his fractured mind: _sleep now, Doctor. _ When she opened her eyes, Thete was leaning against Jack's chest apparently asleep.

"I thought this would get better, and that he wouldn't have such bad flashbacks?" Jack whispered. .

"This was not a flashback. I was on my way here because K'nar felt his rage building and it frightened her. He remembered everything that happened in that room except the faces of the men who did it. My daughter saw him - after they were through with him." G'Na fought to contain her own rage. She drew a breath and refocused before continuing. "I understand why she tried to make him forget, Captain. I just did the same thing. I did it for different reasons, but it was the same thing. He's not well enough to withstand the shock of this memory. When he wakes up, he will have a vague idea that he's had another nightmare. I must take him back to Vshak. We have a team who will treat him there. He will have to confront it again, but by then his body will have healed, and we have the ability to prevent the memories from overwhelming him."

"He still doesn't realise that he's not a human, how the bloody hell am I supposed to get him there?" Jack questioned, sounding angry and frustrated.

"We will work on recovering his safer memories and rebuilding his shields to block out everyone else's emotions, and then - when he realises who he really is, we will help him keep it hidden from his adopted family."

Jack kissed the top of Thete's head, and then laid him on the floor. Thete didn't move as Jack slipped an arm under his shoulders and another under his legs. Picking him was still too easy. He put him on the bed for G'Na to scan again. Once she was assured that he was in a deep, dreamless sleep; she tucked him in.

"Why isn't he eating?" Jack asked as he stroked his head.

G'Na stopped and laid a hand on Jack's arm. "Captain, after you were... Did you eat?"

"How did you ..." Jack stared at her open-mouthed.

"I think that you have neglected your own training the last few years." G'Na fussed gently as she tapped her temple. "Your shields could use a little tweaking. I felt your anguish during his - meltdown and saw the memory."

Jack smirked at her use of the term. In just a few days, she had started to fit right in, vernacular and all. "I didn't... " Jack stopped at his own memory. "I'd actually forgotten. The Master thought it was funny to put drugs in the swill that they fed me. When I came back, I didn't eat; not unless I fixed it, myself. I thought any food I didn't make might have drugs mixed in. I actually got very good at hiding it from my team. It was months before I realised how stupid I was being." The sudden realisation of what Thete was doing made Jack sick. "They drugged him before he was kidnapped and then they forced hallucinogens in him. Now he's afraid the food tastes bad because it's drugged. Damn, does even he know that's what he doing?"

"No, it's on a subconscious level," she replied as she brushed her fingers across his forehead to insure he was deeply asleep. "We need to have his nurses make his shakes in front of him, and I will talk to Mrs Munson, and Mrs Carson about fixing small meals in the little kitchen they have set up. Let him see them fix it. We'll just call it reintegration therapy or something, so he doesn't know why we're doing it. Eventually, he'll trust again. But make no mistake, Captain, he has a very long way to go."


	39. Ch 39 Light at the End of the Tunnel

Thete stood at his hospital room door staring down the long hallway. They wanted him to leave his sanctuary. In fact, they were all insisting that he actually cross the threshold. The very thought made his hearts race in trepidation. He wondered if he had always been a coward. A small group of people waited for him at the other end. "Come On, Thete," Rory called to encourage him on. "Catch us up."

Thete pulled a face at the comment. From his prospective, the hallway seemed to go on forever. He glanced up at Sam who smiled. "You can do this, Mr Smith," he said sounding so ridiculously professional that Thete resented it. Some how the man's smile didn't seem all that reassuring.

"So, I have to go down and back, right? I mean, you do know, I almost died, right?"

Sam laughed, "We're past that now, Mr Smith."

"What about the whole coma thing after that. Is that good for -" Thete whinged.

"Down and back would be good," Sam interrupted, "but I'll take the down for this trip. Think of it as an adventure," The therapist chuckled. "Your friends all tell me that you are in to adventuring."

Thete glared first at the man, and then back down the hall as he swallowed. He wondered how a little hospital could have such long corridors. He cast lay in an armrest as his good hand clutched the crossbar of the walker for all its worth. With one last glance back to his comfort zone, he took his first step back into the world. Sam kept a firm grip on the belt around Thete's waist. He listened to his cheering section encourage each agonisingly slow step. By the time he reached the end of the hall, his leg muscles quivered with exhaustion while sweat dampened his hospital gown. How was it possible to be so weak?

Rory slid a wheelchair around to let him sit down, but it was more of a collapse. They all grinned at him. "Not bad, that was twenty-five feet. Considering you barely made it to bathroom yesterday, this is - - amazingly - - good. "

Thete flinched when Rory touched his shoulder. He winced at the brief look of disappointment that flickered on Rory's face, but he couldn't help it. He really did try to control the reaction when people touched him. When he looked up again, the look was gone, replaced with a warm smile. "Right, I may have Swiss cheese for a brain, but even I know that's bollocks," Thete answered testily, but he did appreciate Rory's look of support. At least the look of pity was gone.

"Don't worry, Mr Smith, by Thanksgiving you'll be ready for a marathon. I leave you to your friends, and I will see you at two. " Thete just glared. "Bloody torturer." he mumbled to the man's departing back.

"You know," Amy stepped around holding tea, "if you'd eat, your strength would be much better."

"I'm not hungry," he answered flatly. "What else do I have to do? Where's Hank and everybody?"

"They're at the café. Remember: Nan told you that they re-opened today. " River answered as she ruffled his hair, " You are stuck with us. The mean old troublemakers who are going to kick your skinny arse out the door. "

"I'm afraid that you are also stuck with me," Madam G'Na laughed. " On to your next session. "

Thete pulled a face. " What is it?"

"Cooking. " Amy answered brightly. " You can even fry stuff, you know, all Scottish. " She pushed his chair past his room toward doors at the opposite end of the hall.

"Why are we going in there?"

"Because, " Amy pushed the chair closer, " that's where the rehab kitchen is. They are being kind, and letting us borrow it. Besides, you need to get out, and about. You've been in that room long enough. It's not in your nature to be such a stick in the mud. There's also someone in there you need to meet. "

"I don't want to meet anybody, and I did get out of my room. We're in the hallway. What's wrong with being a stick in the mud once in a while ?"

"Come on, Thete, you can't hide forever. " Rory pushed the unit doors open to the extended care wing.

After weeks of near silence followed by weeks of relative quiet, the noise, and chatter from so many people assaulted his nervous system. People seemed to be everywhere, Music played through the loudspeaker while a television seemed to blare from the corner of the community lounge. Staff members hovered around a confused patient calling out for an unseen loved one. The apparent chaos sent his body rigid with fear. He reached to stop the wheelchair's forward movement.

"I can't do this," he protested.

This was Rory's element. "Yes, you can," Rory reassured him.

He took over the wheelchair and gently tapped Thete's hand away from the wheels. His friends ignored his sudden intake of breath and the face that he pulled. G'Na mentally bolstered his shields as they pushed his chair next to a group of patients playing cards. The older patients nodded politely, but otherwise ignored the young man. Amy and River chatted about nonsense as they waited for the first person they'd come to see, and it wasn't long. Thete nervously scanned the unit trying to plot his escape. It was just so noisy.

"Hey Thete, are you ready for your question ? It's a... "

Thete's face broke into a huge grin as he reached for the source of that voice. " I thought you were mad at me. I missed you. " As he hugged Annie, he buried his face in her neck, relieved to have someone that he loved by his side. "What are you doing here , and why are you in scrubs ?" he whispered.

"I spent so much time looking after you that Abby helped me get a job here on the day shift. There are so many people with you now, I go on home, but I have missed you ," she said as she hugged him.

"What about Emily?"

"You remember her ?"

"Of course, I remember her. Is she okay ? Who will watch her ?"

"Nan hired a sitter. When I'm off orientation, I can put her in the hospital's daycare."

"Can you get me out of here?"Thete pleaded.

"Not hardly, it's my idea that your here." She kissed his forehead. "Now, I have someone that I want you to meet. Feel up to it ?

From looking at Madam G'Na and Amy's face, he knew he didn't have a choice, so he nodded. Annie laughed and took over his chair and pushed him away from the safety of the people he knew to a room where an old man sat next to his wife. An elderly woman stared in space as her husband lovingly talked to her. Thete smiled. There was something vaguely familiar about the man, but he couldn't place him. When the man saw him, his warm smile made Thete feel at home.

"Theta, you are up an about. " The man rose and came to shake his hand. Look Minnie, it's the young man who worried about you so. "

"The lady next door, who cried at night ?" Thete was stunned. He'd almost forgotten about the woman.

Annie patted his hand. " You worried about her all the time when you were out of it. The night you almost died, Mr Schlesser came in and told you to fight back and get well. Then he told you to come visit when you were better. You're better, so - here's your visit. We'll wait outside. "

"That night when I saw you, I thought, that boy reminds me of someone. " Mr Schlesser moved Thete's wheelchair closer to Minnie and sat back down. " I finally figured out why, so - when I saw Miss Amy, I asked her to bring you for a visit when you were better. You're looking good."

"Thanks, I'm - better, I guess." Thete looked at a bit perplexed. "Mr Schlesser, my memory is still a bit foggy, but I don't remember meeting you. But, I am glad your wife is better. "

"Thank you. We nearly lost both of you that night, but God wasn't ready for either of you. I think, you are both a bit too much for the Lord." The old man chuckled. " May I tell you a story ?"

"I'd love to hear. " Thete thought he would hear about a decades long romance. It was an entirely different story.

"In 1941, I lived in Belgium with my family. It was not a good time to be Jewish. One day, the Nazi's raided our village. Jewish families were herded to the square. My mother shoved my sister and me in an alley behind a barrel and told us to hide. I was eight years old, and my sister was six. The soldiers grabbed my mother as she came out of the alley on her bicycle and took her to the square. A strange young man came out of the building eating a pastry. He'd heard the shouting and was being a bit noisy I think, and then he saw us."

Thete sat back in his wheelchair, his eyebrows furrowed. " What happened ?" he asked softly unsure why he was suddenly felt so nervous.

" A soldier came into the alley and saw him. He dropped the pastry and pointed a strange device that made a sound, and the soldier passed out. I remember, I thought my ears would bleed. The strange man grabbed our hands and said run. And we did. He wound his way through the alleys, moving away from the square. We could hear the machine guns as they cut the people down - cut my mother down. He got us to a truck and hid us under boxes. I remember he was British, but spoke perfect Yiddish. He told us no matter what, to stay silent. We drove for miles out into the countryside. Whenever we were stopped, he would show the soldier a paper, and they would let us go. It seemed whatever language he needed, he could speak. German, French, even Yiddish. Perfectly, like he'd grown up with it. He took us to a convent and asked for sanctuary. The nuns took us to a cellar where there were a dozen other children with nuns to look after them. He left us for three weeks, and then one night, he came back. He had forged papers for us and told us to speak only Dutch or German. Our village was outside Kortrijk. We left that night, and drove to the North Sea. He put us on a boat for England with a note and money and told us that the man we would meet would keep us safe. He said that he was sorry that he couldn't save our parents or my big sister. The Nazis had already taken my father and sister away. "

"What was his name ?"

"I don't know. He only said that he was the Caretaker. But you - - you are his spitting image. "

Thete leaned back against the back of the chair plainly stunned. He looked at the old man, and he knew. As he listened, tears began to slide down his cheeks. The old man's words unlocked a door and the Doctor peaked through; he remembered that day. Thete dropped his head in an effort to contain his emotions as he saw that bakery in his head. It was as if a tiny light appeared in an otherwise darkened mind. For him, it happened just a few months ago. How could he forget that little boy?

It had happened right after he received a tip that Kovarian had taken Melody to mid-20th century earth. He'd followed the lead right into that little Belgium town as he tracked her energy signal to that bakery. He'd barely had the chance to ask a question when the cries of a woman screaming, _not my babies, _ sent him running through the back door to an alley. He remembered the Nazis breaking into houses dragging people out and screaming for the Jews to come to the square. It felt so real. The memory left him feeling disoriented - and ashamed. Why did he forget that?

His struggle didn't go unnoticed. "Are you alright, Thete. Should I get Annie?"

"No. No, it's fine, Mr Schlesser . Have you had a good life ?" He stuttered softly as he wiped his face. "After you came here, were you happy ?" Thete asked softly. " What happened to your sister ?"

"She went to Israel in 1950. I went back to Belgium, but it wasn't the same. I came here in 1956 and met my Minnie. We have had a good life. I think that man was your great grandfather."

Thete nodded and lied, his voice was a struggled whisper. " My father said that he rescued almost thirty children during the war. Talk about fate, huh. "

"I hear from Annie and little K'Nar rescuing others is a family trait. "

Thete snorted at the thought. " You met K'Nar?" He smiled.

"I did - - and her little friend. She is quite the young lady, and she adores you. "

"She - is- bloody brilliant, she is. I would be dead if it weren't for her or worse; bloody mental. "

"Do you remember more ?"

Thete smiled at the old man who unconsciously stroked Minnie's hand. He drew a breath before he answered. " Chunks, but bigger chunks are still missing. I still don't know how I got here or what really happened. I can remember K'Nar coming into a cell, dribbling water down my throat, and cleaning me up. I can't remember why they did it or what they wanted. Her Mum uses hypnosis. That's how I remembered my friends. She says it will take a while. "

"And your health, it's better, yes ?"

"Yeah, there is a therapist - Sam who tortures me. My shoulders are messed up, and I guess when I had the seizure, I had some kind of event that left my right arm weaker. But it's getting better, I can feed myself now. I couldn't even do that a couple of days ago. What about Minnie ? Is she going to be... ?"

"No. She perks up when Rabbi Feldman comes, but then she fades again. My Minnie is growing tired of this world, I think. My children are coming back from California and New York to be here in the end. "

"I'm so sorry," Thete wasn't sure what to say to the old man. "Have you had a good life since then, Mr Schlesser. You and Minnie - are you good?"

The old man smiled. " My Minnie gave me eight children, five sons and three daughters. They have good lives, without fear. They went to school as Americans. Four of my sons served in the military, and married good Jewish girls. My girls all married and have good men for husbands although two are not Jewish. I have tried to lead my life to honour my parents and your great grandfather. Yes, Theta, I - have lived a blessed life. "

For almost thirty minutes, the old man and the older man talked as Mr Schlesser shared his memories of growing up after the war, going to Israel before coming to the States and of being the only Jew in a small Kentucky community. For a long time after settling in Elizabeth, he expected the same hatred that he dealt with as a child. By the sixties, Minnie had helped him finally to realise that the pogroms of Europe would never come. After that, he grew to love the town as much as his wife. Thete didn't notice that his host hit the call light when he began to show signs of exhaustion. But when Annie came to for him, Thete was glad. He was even happier when he saw Sarah in the hallway waiting for him.

"Sarah," Just seeing his adopted mum lifted some of the exhaustion that weighed him down. "I thought you were at the café."

"I was. You look tuckered out, did they over work you?" she asked lovingly as she kissed his forehead. "I came to help with your lesson in the kitchen, but do you want some tea first?"

"Yeah, please. Tea would be wonderful," he said with obvious relief.

Thete's energy barely come back before the occupational therapist had him in the little rehab kitchen with Sarah as he practised cutting carrots. He didn't even like carrots but he complied with little more than a token whinge now and then. It did surprise him how much effort was required to slice through a root vegetable. The effort to fix the meal and wash up was exhausting. His hand didn't want to cooperate with his brain as he tried to set the table. When he dropped a plate everyone held their breath expecting him to get angry.

Much to their shock, his only comment was quietly spoken. "Guess, I'm clumsy, hey," he said as he pulled a face.

"It will come, Mr Smith, the therapist encouraged, "remember, dishes are tricky. They have more weight and are harder to handle."

"Right," he mumbled, his voice was thick with disappointment.

By the end of his cooking lesson he had an audience made up of his friends old and new and K'Nar who served up the lunch. No one was brave enough to let him handle hot food. He didn't even notice that he ate - everything. They did. The rest of the afternoon was spent in physiotherapy and with the art therapist. But he stayed quiet, something else that they noticed. He cooperated without complaint, but unless someone asked questions, he stayed quiet.

Weird disconnected images kept tickling at him, making it harder to focus on the conversations around him He wasn't even sure if the images were real. It was all jumbled, confusing bits of strange creatures and stars blowing up. It was easier to stay quiet, and it was something else his friends noticed. He was grateful that they finally let him go back to the safety of his room. He was not only exhausted, but thoroughly confused by the images flashing through his brain. He wanted to curl up with K'Nar and wait for Hank to explain to him why he wasn't mental.

When Hank finally came; the words wouldn't. They played cards and said little until Thete dropped the cards. "You tired, son."

Thete nodded. "I just want to go to bed, Hank. They won't let you stay anymore, will they?"

"No, but I can help you get your P.J's on."

"Thete nodded again. Hank smiled gently as helped him slip out of his sweats into his new pyjama bottoms.

"Real clothes," Thete said with a snort. "Never thought, I'd wear clothes again." Thete looked at the only man he trusted absolutely and swallowed hard with a decision he didn't want to make. "Go home, Hank. I can do this - by myself. I want to do this by myself. I'm not a kid."

Hank snorted as he stepped back. "No, your not. Are you sure?"

"Yeah, tell Sarah goodnight for me, okay?"

Hank leaned over and kissed the top of Thete's head. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Thete flashed a tired smile as his friend walked out the door. As he turned his attention to forcing a little white button into a hole Thete couldn't see Hank's proud grin. A moment later, he let out a frustrated sigh and thought twice about sending Hank away. He glanced around the room, trying to figure out if he would ever get things right, and was surprised to see Amy standing at the door alone. He looked embarrassed at the uneven buttons. " Don't think they used to be this hard. "

"Well, it is hard one handed," she said as she walked over to help. " You look knackered. Where's Hank, I thought he was going to help you get ready?" she said gently.

"Sent him home. I thought, I could manage. Did you get volunteered to enter the dragon's den to find out if I'm behavin'?" he sounded as tired as he looked.

"No, Mr Grumpy Face; to find out why you've been so quiet since you saw Mr Schlesser. " Amy smiled when he snorted at her. "When Hank got your tea earlier, he said that you seemed - distracted, like you want to tell us something. He thinks you remember something but that you're worried or maybe afraid to ask."

"He didn't ask me that?" he answered sounding petulant.

"He really is trying to let us help you solve stuff. I can leave if you want; let G'Na come in.

"No - God - no. I see enough of her as it is. Don't go." Thete scooted down on the edge of the bed to let Amy sit beside him. He hoped that she didn't see tears in his eyes. " Mrs Schlesser is dying. I can't really whinge about things can I ? Besides, I lied. "

Amy made sure not to look straight ahead as she answered. " Lying for you is nothing new," she responded softly. "You do it all the time, whenever you are trying to protect someone. But, just out of curiosity, what did you lie about ?"

"I remember things, Amy. Weird, disconnected things. Not about what happened. I swear, I - don't. But there are bits and pieces that I do. All day, I have had these weird - images in my head. Today, when Mr Schlesser and I talked... I think - I remembered me. Bits of me anyway." He turned to looked at her. "I think, I must be - mental 'cos I don't think that I'm human." He glanced at Amy who remained expressionless.

"You already know that - don't you?"

"Yeah. The Americans haven't got a clue, though, so I wouldn't say anything."

"I'm... I really am an alien. That's real, isn't it?" He felt as if he had stepped through the rabbit hole.

"Yep." Amy swallowed the desire to yell in joy, but she couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. "It's very real and you're not mental," she answered calmly.

"What - exactly am I?" He turned to study the side of her face.

Amy met his gaze before she responded. "You come from a place called Gallifrey. You are a Time Lord, and you travel - in time."

"It's gone; that's why I don't have a family," he said flatly.

"You lost your family and your planet in a war."

Thete snorted. The image of a burning castle suddenly made sense. He drew a breath through his nose and then shifted his focus to a picture of the space shuttle. He spoke hesitantly at first, "I knew Mr Schlesser before. At first, today, I thought - maybe, I was mental. It was as if I was watching someone else's life. But, it's real. I remember him, not as he is now, but as a little boy in an alley. I remember ... this woman with an eyepatch - Kovarian, too. I followed her and Melody to 1941 Earth. I was in a pastry shop when the Nazis started breaking into houses; dragging people out, even their children. A gang of them went up and down the street yelling, Juden, kommen her! There was a woman in the alley yelling, not my children, and I went to check. This soldier was about to murder two children, and she was trying to get him to follow her instead. I used the sonic to disable him, grabbed them and ran. I ... This is just weird, but I remember . "

Tears ran down his cheeks. " I tried to go back to help other kids, I did - and I saved thirty, " he sobbed, "but I lost Melody. I know who River is, Amy. I remember you - the real you. I am so sorry. I didn't get her back for you. I'm sorry that you're not raising your daughter."

Amy's own tears ran down her cheeks as she reached over, kissed his cheek and took her best friend's hand. " I know," she answered softly as she first wiped his tears and then her own.

"Amy, what do I tell Hank, Sarah and Nan?"

"Nothing, for now." She squeezed his hand gently. "But if it's okay," she said with a warm smile, "I'll catch the rest of us up."

Feeling confused and numb, the Doctor just nodded.


	40. Chapter 40 Rehab

**_A/N part 2 of the Light at the End of the Tunnel_**

o0o

"I promise, just tell Mum and Dad to behave," Martha spoke lovingly to Mickey. His daily phone call kept her updated on her family and eased her own increasing loneliness. Since the Doctor had finally started making steady progress, she had less to do making it harder not to miss her own crazy bunch.

"So does he remember me - - us yet?" Mickey asked.

Martha ached at the longing in her husband's voice. "He does remember you - - just things are still foggy for him. He still doesn't know why."

"Well, tell him that Rickey sends his best," he teased, "and Love ... my hand feels empty without yours. Come home - - soon."

"I will, you big softy. I love you," Martha answered as she closed the mobile. She leaned against the lift's wall clutching the phone to her chest. Truth told, she ached for her husband as much as he ached for her. With the Doctor's recovery on a firm footing, she wasn't sure why she was still here. Martha straightened at the gentle stop of the lift waiting for the doors to slide back. One hundred feet separated her from the physiotherapy department. The short walk gave her the time to finalise her decision. It really was time to go home. As she came around the glass wall to the department, she saw K'Nar patiently waiting with G'Na's assistant. The child's recovery was almost as dramatic as the Doctor's. The haunted look in her eyes was starting to fade. Her expression was more relaxed; the way a young teen's should be. As Martha entered, K'Nar's face lit up.

Martha beckoned the girl to follow her to the treatment room where the two stood at the entrance for just a moment, watching Thete interact with the older patients who challenged him to work harder. He sat on the edge of a workout table oblivious to her presence. His skin was shiny with sweat from the effort of his workout. He was still far weaker than he should be, but she didn't care. Three weeks ago, she honestly wasn't sure that his recovery was even possible. Now, twelve days after realising who and what he was, she marveled at him. Slow recovery or not, he was alive. What's more; he wasn't psychotic.

Despite receiving therapy in his room, he lacked full control over his right arm and his shoulders were still stiff. From the frustrated look on his face, she knew that he expected more of himself. To him, his recovery was far too slow, They'd had that conversation earlier. He felt that after ten full days of misery, he should be stronger. By now, he should be ready to run. Telling him otherwise was like talking to the proverbial wall. The therapy made the constant ache that sat in his shoulders worse and from the face he'd just pulled, she figured that he would need something for pain when they were done. Sam poked him under his elbow, encouraging him work it through the discomfort as he struggled to raise his left arm higher than mid- chest.

Martha studied the look of concentration on his face. His hair hung in his eyes making his cheeks look more sunken than they actually were. Greenish-yellow bruising still marred his face and chest, but they were rapidly fading just as the oldest bruises and burn marks already had. The cuts were healed leaving fresh scars. They would fade as well with a little help from the tissue regenerator. Best of all, now that the infections were clear, his immune system was recovering. The speed might not be to his liking, but he was finally recovering. She couldn't help her quiet giggle when one of the older folks made a bet in an effort to challenge him to work harder. They all knew his story and how close he'd come to death. For that; he had their profound respect. To them, he was as much a war hero as the men at Fort Knox.

Then, sitting there on the edge of the therapy table, stretching his arm, in obvious pain, he did something, none of his companions had heard in months. He chuckled at a joke. That's when Martha knew; this nightmare was almost over. Now, every time he whinged, he had a roomful of people to kick his arse in gear or make him laugh. She realised that he didn't actually need her anymore, it made her decision to go home so much easier.

"Come to watch my latest round of torture. " He grinned when he saw her watching. For the first time in what seemed forever, at least for the moment, the dead look had left his eyes. " Mr Harris bet me five quid he could out exercise me. " The way his arm dropped heavily back in his lap she knew that he was exhausted.

"I came to give you a message," she said brightly and motioned to K'Nar to wait.

"What message ?"

"Mr Schlesser came by. They're moving his wife to a nursing home today. He wanted you to know, and he asked me if you would come back for Chanukah ?"

Thete smiled, but the Doctor looked back. " I might. "

Martha swallowed before she continued. "I'm going home today," she said quietly as she pushed his damp hair back out of his eyes.

"What - why? Martha, you can't leave me, not yet."

"You are in rehab now, and while you have a way to go before you go home, you're not sick. You'll finish your meds, cooperate with your therapy and come see me in London."

"Are you leaving 'cos you're mad at me?" he asked, plainly worried. "I didn't mean whatever it was that I might have said."

"I am not mad at you, you silly git. I miss Mickey and my family. They send their love, but I have a husband who wants me home. Plus - I have Christmas shopping to do." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "It's time, Thete. I need to go home."

"Thank you. You saved me, I think not for the first time. Will it all come back, Martha? Will I remember everything?"

"Eventually, yeah, I think you will. Not all of it is happy, and I want you to give me, your word that you will either come home and see our specialist, or go with Madam G'Na and continue your therapy with her. Regardless, I expect to see you ten days after you leave here for a check up. I think Christmas would be good. On your way here, you'll stop by the Hub for an exam. Promise me. Promise that you will do that, Doctor." Martha pleaded.

For once, he looked serious. He met her eyes with a level gaze. "I promise, I will go with G'Na. She already knows everything, no sense in starting over with someone new. I will go there. Martha..." Tears rimmed his eyes as he worked his chin.

Martha stood up. He looked so different; was so different from her Doctor. She kissed his forehead again. "K'Nar's outside. She finished her studies with her tutor and her session with her Taska. I'll let her in. I'll see you soon, Mister. "

"Hey Brit ?" one of the older patients teased. " You're falling behind. Shame on you for letting a pretty girl side-track you. "

"Thank you , Mr Harris. " Martha laughed. " Come on K'Nar; come help encourage this lazy git. I have an expense report to write. Oh, by the way, the State Police are no longer acting as your body guard. You're stuck with the team, mister, so behave yourself. Watch him, K'Nar: you're my spy. "

Thete's eyes lit up at the sight of K'Nar. Martha patted the youngster on her shoulder as they passed, but she knew that she might as well not exist. When they were together, everyone else was still secondary. Their attachment was as natural as breathing to them. G'Na reassured everyone that the marital bond was definitely broken, and guessed their bond was a result of surviving their shared nightmare. Whatever the reason, it was obvious to anyone watching that on some level, their bond remained intact. Martha chuckled when she heard K'Nar laugh at something another patient said.

When she glanced back at Thete, he seemed to be less distracted and trying just a little harder.

"Goodbye, mister," she whispered fondly as she looked at him one last time before going home.

o0o

"Mother is waiting next - and the art therapist," K'Nar grinned as she poked Thete before she took her place next to him.

Thete rolled his eyes and groaned dramatically. He hated the art therapist almost as much as he hated dealing with the tide of emotions that still churned inside his head. Thanks to G'Na they no longer spilled over, but the effort to control them left him exhausted. " Your mother is almost as much a torturer as Sam and so is the art therapist. "

He glanced at Sam who just smiled as he bent Mr Harris's knee to an impossible position. " Come on Mr Harris, " Thete teased at the man's groan, " remember that's five quid for the kids fund if I beat you. Sorry, five bucks. "

Thete switched arms with the weights. His muscles quivered from the effort.

"My mother says you are almost ready to leave the womb. I heard one of your friends say: you were not in such a shitty mood." K'Nar reached out to pat his arm.

"Oi! Where did you hear that word? Your mother will not be pleased."

"Is shitty a bad word ?"

"Let's say it's highly inappropriate ? Where did you hear that anyway ? I think I need to talk to someone."

"From Mr. Bob. He asked Mr. Hank if you were still in a shitty mood. "

"Well, don't eavesdrop and don't say it anymore. There are less colourful words you can use. " Thete bumped her shoulder. " Try grump or grumpy face. Mr Grumpy face is always a good one. " Thete smiled at her. Despite everything, she was still such an innocent.

"You were Mr. Grumpy Face?"

"From what I hear, that would be a huge understatement. I was very much a Mr. Grumpy Face. " A shadow fell across his face as he laid down the weight. He was getting better at hiding his feelings from the humans, but not from K'Nar. He smiled down at her. " Blimey, " he sat up straighter, " I am knackered. "

"If you're done, Mr. Smith; do six minutes on the treadmill. I want you up to ten this afternoon," Sam instructed as he worked with his other patient, " then we will need to ice your shoulders. "

"Yes, Boss.," Thete answered cheekily, resigned to his fate. At least, the ice would feel good on his aching joints. " I guess there's no rest for the wicked, eh?. " He hugged K'Nar and headed for the treadmill.

The rest of his day passed, as they had since he woke up, with someone either telling him to do something, go somewhere, or eat something. Every time he finished a session someone put food or milk shakes in his hand . He hated protein shakes. Even when they stood in front of him as he mixed the ice cream in, they were nasty. Cooking classes had at least perked up his appetite, but he still really wasn't all that hungry. Except for Pizza ; he nearly kissed Ianto for sneaking three slices to him in a flower box. At least, Nan and Sarah brought food that actually tasted good.

Late in the afternoon, the art therapist came. He really did hate art therapy. It made it easier that everyone, even K'Nar, drew pictures of what this ordeal meant to them. Their pictures plastered the walls of his room. Every raw emotion that his friends had experienced was there for the world to see and he hated it. Jack kept his emotions and his artwork to himself. However, he did make sure to comment on everybody else's. Since his meltdown with G'Na, Jack or Rory were always in the room during his therapy sessions. Fortunately, they were growing fewer, and they were all happy that for three days, he was incident free.

Today, though, had been rough. Three trips to P.T. and Martha's unexpected departure left him exhausted and emotionally raw. He tried to hide his feelings, and even started this session with a joke that he had heard in P.T. But now, Thete sat frozen with a brush in his hand, staring at the red paint that he'd smeared across the sheet of paper.

The therapist and G'Na watched from a distance. The room faded away, leaving Thete in a fog of turmoil. Both women knew for different reasons what was happening. His expression glazed over, his pupils dilated until his eyes looked black, G'Na moved quickly to his side. Thete wasn't aware that the other therapist got everyone, but Jack out. The door had barely closed when Thete felt his mind explode. He shoved the table against the wall as he fell to the floor.

Jack moved to secure him tight against his body, preventing him from getting hurt, while he kicked and tried to bite the nearest thing to him. Jack wrapped his legs around Thete, safely pinning him close to prevent him from attacking G'Na. His screams echoed through the hall. G'Na planted her fingers on his temples forcing her way through the blinding terror that enveloped his mind. He was back in the room, shackled across a table, the sound of obscene laughter filled his ears and they were coming.

G'Na moved quickly to silence the laughter and remove his bonds. Mentally she let him sink into her arms. She felt his body go limp against Jack. This time, she pushed the memory of the faceless men behind clear walls. She didn't want him to hide, just not be overwhelmed, or sink into the terror. This memory was like a recurring echo that would keep coming back until she could get him to see their faces. Slowly the storm cleared, and she sent him into a deep sleep.

Withdrawing, she drew a deep breath, before opening her eyes to see him asleep against Jack's chest.

"I'm afraid, we pushed him too far today." G'Na commented quietly.

"I thought, maybe, by now that he would be past this, " Jack muttered as he shifted to lay him down, so that he could properly pick him up and put him on the bed.

"Captain Harkness, how are your nightmares?"

"What ?" Jack sat back on his heels, stunned by the question.

"You both have spent lifetimes running from your nightmares. I have had him awake for ten days. He came close to dying. His shields are barely intact. I am good. I am very good, but not even I can create miracles. His nightmares are better, and this is only his fourth serious spell since he regained consciousness. This is a journey. We need to get him strong enough to face the trial. His healing will still take weeks, maybe even months. Now, put him to bed, while I remind people he's going to be alright."

G'Na went out to the lounge to meet the tired group of friends who were in tears. Like Jack, they had all prayed these days were over. G'Na explained carefully the days would get fewer, but Thete had just started his road back, and some days would be better than others would. Thankfully, he slept through the rest of the day.

o0o

"Ha, beat that Jack. " Thete laid down a full house. His hospital room looked very much like any post-Thanksgiving gathering of men. Minus cigars and real beer. The four men sat in chairs pulled around Thete's hospital bed playing poker. Now that Ianto didn't have to worry about anyone dying, he'd brought pizza and managed to sneak in the non-alcoholic version of beer. They ignored Thete's frequent glances at the mobile Jack had laid on the table.

"Beat that, boys." Hank laid down a royal flush.

The others threw their poker hands down, in mock protest as Hank pulled his chips in.

"Blimey Hank, that's your third hand. When are the ladies coming?" Thete's voice tinged with concern. He'd asked the same question in different forms at least a hundred times since the women left.

"They'll be back by six." Hank answered.

Poker had replaced art therapy to help him deal with stress. It was a lot more fun than drawing pictures. In the last few days the women had hovered less, even leaving to serve Thanksgiving dinner at a shelter in a nearby town.

Now they had gone to Louisville. Nan decided the Friday after Thanksgiving was the perfect day to introduce the concept of Black Friday to their foreign guests, especially Madam G'Na and K'Nar. She and Sarah piled them and Annie into a van and took them sight-seeing and shopping. K'Nar could barely contain herself and even talked her mother into letting Nela go. The girl had rarely been seen by the Americans, spending most of her time in the TARDIS or out for walks with K'Nar under Ianto's watchful eye. At least today they could be teenage girls exploring a truly foreign city.

"Their fine, Doctor." Rory munched a slice of pizza.

"How far away is Louisville again?"

Jack gathered the cards, and handed them to him. " Your deal, Doc. "

"Right. " Thete shuffled the deck and dealt the hand.

He still struggled to control the anxiety he felt when K'Nar was away from him. Sometimes the struggle to control his irrational fears felt a monumental task. He no longer worried any one was coming after him or putting drugs in his food, but he worried constantly something would happen to her.

"Who's winning?" They all looked up to see Abby carrying his lunch tray. "Tell me that you three didn't feed him pizza again. The dietician will have a cow."

"No, " Hank laughed, " Ianto did it. "

"Hey, " he fussed in self-defence, " Jack ordered it, Ma'am. I am just the delivery man. "

"And it's good. And it has ham and peppers, " Thete cheekily took a bite and grinned at her. " And I'm not throwing it back up. Did River call ?" Hank smacked him in the back of the head. " Oi, that hurt !" Thete whinged.

"Their fine!" all four men said together.

Abby shook her head, trying not to laugh, and left the room. She rejoiced in every patient's recovery, but this one sat at the top of her list.

Bit by tiny bit, his life was coming back together. His recovery in the last few days had been remarkable. Nearly all signs of his physical injuries were gone.

He was starting to gain weight. The stitches in his foot were gone. Only his cast remained.

Seeing K'Nar alive pulled him back from a complete psychotic break. In a few more days, he would go home to Britain. She was going to miss him. She was going to miss all of them.

Leaning against the wall outside of his room, Abby smiled. She looked up to see Jack Wilson coming down the hall.

"Hey, Doc. "

"Abby, how's he doing ?"

"Eating Pizza, playing poker, and being a wise ass. Almost normal. "

"Almost ?"

"Emotionally, he has a way to go. I think his therapy with Dr Llew has been remarkable but... "

"But what ? I'm thinking we can discharge him home on Tuesday. "

"I saw him this morning, when I clocked in. He was walking down the hall from his room. You know, the part of the floor that is still closed for construction. It was all dark and shadowy and there he was, leaning against the wall doing his best not to hyperventilate . He was forcing himself to walk past the empty rooms. He made it half way, then inched his way back. "

"You didn't help ?"

"No. He didn't want anyone to see him, or he wouldn't have tried alone. He's got away to go. He's still almost paranoid about K'Nar being away from him. Nan, Annie and Sarah took all the women to Louisville for Black Friday, and he asked me three times if they'd called.

" You made the right decision, Abby. He has to face the real world now. The only way for him to deal with his fear, is time and therapy. I think Tuesday he needs to go home.


	41. Chapter 41 Back to Life

The clear, late November Saturday had just enough bite in the air to make the afternoon pleasantly cold. Like the rest of the country, the day after Thanksgiving started the official Christmas season and for Elizabeth that meant tourists. The older homes clustered around the center of town were decked out in Victorian style. Pine garlands intertwines with tiny lights draped across the metal fences that defined the small front yards. At nightfall every visible window displayed flickering candle light. Of course, the lights were battery operated, but the effect did evoke the necessary nineteenth century feeling.

Hank pulled the van under the portico at the front of the hospital where everyone except Jack and the Doctor gathered for the short ride to downtown Elizabeth. Nela and K'Nar clung to each other under the watchful eye of G'Na and her assistant. After a successful day of Christmas shopping, spending the afternoon enjoying this strange tradition filled them with excitement. Promptly at four-thirty, the group piled in the van and left Jack to entertain the Doctor.

It was evident that winter wasn't far off, and as they drove through town, Hank delighted the girls with tales of what he insisted the animals were whispering by their signs. According to him, it promised to be a cold and snowy winter. By the time, he'd parked the van and they walked the short distance to the V.I.P. seating, the girls were convinced that Hank was truly a hidden seer. The group had front row seats at the courthouse for The Light Up Elizabeth parade that kicked off the festival. The sight of floats filled with costumed characters thrilled the girls. G'Na leaned against her assistant with tears at the sight of her daughter laughing. It was long before the normally staid queen joined the girls with squeals of delight. By the time Santa arrived on a fire truck, she was questioning her grip on reality for the second time.

It's good to laugh again, isn't it, Your Majesty, her assistant . whispered to her mind.

Yes, yes it have them back, don't we, she whispered back.

"Is he real, Santa, I mean?" Nela asked Sarah as they walked away.

"Of course he is. He is the very symbol of kindness and generosity toward children." Nan answered. No one told the girls that the town's police chief managed a fairly good imitation

"And, Hank has arranged that you and K'Nar get a private visit from the man of the hour." Sarah finished.

At the end of the visit with souvenir pictures in hand, two thirteen year old girls, an alien Queen and her assistant joined, joined the populace strolling through the centre of town. It was long before the girls, with Ianto and Rory watching over them, pulled away to explore.

The town's people dressed as Victorian age citizens wandered through the downtown centre, chatting and greeting tourists. Street vendors in costume sold little pies and cakes while local church choirs roamed singing nineteenth carols. Someone dressed as Charles Dickens was in a store front window reading 'A Christmas Carol'.

Ianto and Rory were hard pressed to explain that Muslims didn't practice Christmas. The girls thought that was a shame, but before the explanation became complicated, the girls immediately asked for a carriage ride. It was proving hard to keep up with their over abundance of energy. Amy snapped pictures of the girls nervously running their delicate hands against the coarse winter coat of the chestnut mare that would pull their carriage. The two were gob-smacked by the size and strangeness of the animal. She snapped another of Ianto and Rory acting like overly worried uncles as the girls took their ride, and then tore off for the next point of interest and closest souvenir stand.

Just watching the two blossom into happy teens was Christmas for the queen and humans alike. The Queen still felt K'Nar's worry for her Lord, but as they spent time away from the hospital, it had become less frantic. She slowly believed that he truly was healing and that he was safe. Then three days ago, the Queen looked out Thete's window to the hospital gardens to see something that she had almost given up on. Under the watchful eye of Ianto and Rory, her daughter and Nela played. They were running through piles of dried leaves until they collapsed in fits of giggles to make Faerie wings. The Queen stood and cried silent tears of joy. Now, she stood with Amy and their hosts and laughed at the ease both girls had managed to wrap Ianto and Rory around their fingers.

And on this night, they acted like two thirteen year old girls without a care in the universe. As Rory and Ianto watched over the girls, they noticed that though shy and polite to the extreme, had discovered the art of flirting. Two boys, about fourteen, had begun to trail the girls. With the girls casting shy, giggling glances in their direction, the boys responded by moving closer. Ianto and Rory watched discreetly as the boys moved next to the girls and said hi. Rory moved up on one side and Ianto the on the other just as the boys offered to buy the girls light-up bracelets.

"Thank you, gentlemen," Ianto said with a crisp proper British accent. "The ladies appreciate your offer, but you haven't been cleared by MI6 to purchase things for them."

The two boys stared up at the men and swallowed nervously. "Is that like a foreign thing. I'm pretty sure my dad has been cleared. He's in the army." The boy who spoke was blonde, cute and cheeky.

"I sincerely doubt it," Rory responded straight-faced, "However, should your parents wish to submit your last school reports," Rory added, "we'll be happy to entertain your interest." Rory looked down his very romanesque nose at the boys and winked at Ianto when the boys stuttered, apologised and ran.

"Mr Jones," K'Nar whinged, "they were nice."

"Yes ma'am, I'm sure they were. Hot chocolate?" He smiled.

Amy and G'Na stood a few feet away trying not to laugh out loud at disappointed looks shared by the boys as they slunk away. Amy laughed when the two men placed protective arms around the girls and herded them back to the fold.

"Ianto, weren't you ever fourteen? I mean, I know that Rory wasn't, he didn't flirt until he went to university." Amy laughed again at Rory's embarrassed look.

"I was never fourteen," Ianto answered without a trace of humour, "and Jack would kill me if I let boys with in three hundred yards of these two."

"Your dedication is most appreciated, Mr Jones." G'Na laughed as she nodded at the disappearing girls. Ianto rolled his eyes as he and Rory took off after them.

"I wish that Wilson would have let the Doctor come, he was so unhappy about being left behind," Amy said as she linked arms with the Queen. They watched the two men catch up to the girls and take them hot chocolate.

"I don't think he is quite ready to have so many people around him," G'Na spoke softly as she watched her daughter. "But I know missing this will make him feel - left out. You have taken a lot of vids though. Are they holographic?"

"What? No, but that would be really cool. We don't have that kind of technology yet." Amy sounded disappointed.

"That is a shame, shall we chase after the girls? I'm afraid they are wearing Mr Jones and your husband - what's the word...?"

"Ragged." Amy laughed.

o0o

Getting left behind while nearly everyone went to the Christmas festival was annoying at best. Thete begged to be allowed out, but in the end he exacted promises from Ianto and Rory to watch the girls while he stayed behind with Jack. Even Nan and Hank had (what word did Cass use - bailed) they had bailed on him making his loneliness even more profound. So as the group left, he and Jack watched a replay of what the Americans insisted on calling Soccer. It was nearly nine before they all trooped back in carrying souvenirs.

"What did you bring me?" He grinned when they all invaded his room.

K'Nar clambered up on his bed and pulled out her treat. "It's called peppermint sticks, my Lord and," she giggled as she pulled another sack out of her coat pocket, "bracelets that light up." She turned to look at her mother who then turned off the lights. The bracelet blinked slowly at first and then began to morph into a whirlwind of red, green and blue. The Doctor chortled.

"It's pretty isn't it. Mr Jones bought us a dozen, so they'll last when we go home. Miss Amy took pictures of everything." K'Nar continued.

"I can't wait to watch." He kissed her on the forehead. "You should get your rest now.

"Doctor Jones isn't coming back is she?" K'Nar asked as she stifled a yawn.

"No, she is staying with her family, but we can call her if you want. You like Martha, huh."

"Yes, I just miss her. I'm going to miss everyone when we go home. You are coming back with us, right? I mean, they say you can go home soon." K'Nar snuggled into his hug.

"That is what they say," he said softly, sounding a little wistful. "We're aren't leaving tonight, though. Now," he ordered gently as he glanced at G'Na and winked, "go get some rest."

When she was gone, Amy set up the DVD. He spent the next hour watching the recording. He loved the video of the tree lighting ceremony and of the decorations that had gone up on Main Street over the weekend. Watching K'Nar and Nela at the parade made him laugh; a sound still rarely heard. He flashed at glare at Rory when Amy told him about the boys.

o0o

Tuesday dawned bright, clear and cold. Thete stood at the window waiting for Jack and River, marvelling at the profound changes in his life. Wilson came in, signed his discharge papers, hugged him good-bye and left. The Doctor would miss him. Five weeks earlier a human looking alien, bloodied and near dead, fell out of nowhere. He was going home ; back to his life as the Doctor. It wasn't that long ago that he even remembered that he had a life. It was hard for him to believe that so much had happened. Time had run together. He wished his memory was intact, but it wasn't. Someone would say something that he should know and he would still just nod his head pretending to remember. He still wasn't sure if half the stories Jack told were true. But it was rapidly getting better. Bits and pieces morphed into chunks. The best part: he could see timelines now and they almost made sense, but more important, he understood the TARDIS. And he missed her desperately.

Most of the morning was spent saying goodbye. Everyone from Sam and Berta to the housekeeping staff and the barely remembered x-ray tech came to wish him well. Sam gave him a stress ball and Berta gave him a nebulizer to remember her by. Abby was off, so he knew that she'd be at the party. He glanced down at the only remaining sign of his injuries; the cast on his arm. Martha had called from London to check on him and insisted that he leave the cast alone, at least for another week. He'd take care of that as soon as he could get his hands on a tissue regenerator.

He turned back from his window and wiggled his toes; he still needed his boots. Rory had managed to find a pair almost like his favourite ones. He grabbed them from the box, sat on his bed, and slipped them on. With his foot on the edge of the mattress, he struggled to lace up his boots. Without warning, his hearts began to pound. He felt ridiculous and foolish, but he didn't want to leave Thete - at least not yet. He was terrified of leaving; of losing his newly adopted family. This place provided more security than he had known in years. No one expected anything from him here. He did not have to be a know-it-all, genius. He didn't have to fight monsters or right the wrongs of the universe. He could be Theta Sigma, the weird kid. The way he was back on Gallifrey, before it all went wrong.

"Need some help?"

Thete blushed as the unexpected voice broke his panicked thinking. The grin on his face when he saw Cass standing in the doorway was genuinely warm. "What are you doing here ? You should be home in bed."

"I came to deliver a message, and to say good bye."

Thete stood up. "What message?"

"The staff in the unit said, and I quote,_ don't you dare leave without coming to say goodbye_, and - - I was ordered to get your address for a Christmas card. "

Thete held out his arms. "Tell me, how do you like my new clothes." He grinned as he made a circle. He ignored the word goodbye

Cass walked over and hugged him tightly. He was still way too skinny. " I love the sweater. Dark blue looks great on you. You need to fill the jeans out a bit. Suspenders are an interesting choice "

"Jumper and braces, Brits call them jumpers and braces. " He quipped. Tears edged his rims making him take a deep breath, "Thank you, Cass." He buried his head in her neck, "If it were not for you, Abby and the others, I'd be dead or bloody mental. I could never leave without saying goodbye. I am not sure I even want to go. All the times I said I wanted to go home and now..." His voice trembled. For some reason he found it hard to look her in the eye.

"You're scared?"

"Stupid innit?" he answered so soft that it was almost a whisper.

"Thete, I have to admit, there were times that I wasn't so sure that you would ever go home. This is your last hurdle. For over two months, from the time you disappeared until today; you have had someone control every single move you have made. Now - now, you get to decide what you are going to do. That can be scary, even terrifying. What are you going to do ?" She let go of him to look into his eyes.

His chin was red, and he worked it as he did when he was trying not to cry.

"K'Nar's Mum runs a healing centre, where they're from. I still have holes that I can't fill, and I still don't remember much about that last day in that place or how I wound up here. I am going there until the trial, and then I'll see. I want to come back here for Christmas. After that, I'm thinking, I would make a great victims advocate or a shop owner. I love little shops. Maybe a hospital shop; hospital shops are great. I think, I'll give up trying to save the world from bad guys. First, though, I'm going to Nan's Café for Thanksgiving. They waited for me to be with the family. It's my going away party. You can come. "

"Can anyone come in?" Thete and Cass looked up to see Jack and River. "You ready, Sweetie?" River walked over and slid her arm around his waist.

" Just need to say bye to everyone in the unit and then I'm done. Jack, give me five quid. "

"What - - why ?" he asked as he pulled out the bill.

"Cass, can you give this to Mr. Harris. He's a patient in P.T. he'll understand. " Thete handed her the five dollar bill.

"Sure. " She took the note. " I promise. " She hugged him one more time as he leaned his head to hers.

o0o

Goodbyes took an hour, but finally they were outside. The cold made him shiver. For the first time since Hank found him in the rain, he tasted fresh air. He sucked in a lung full, enjoying his first moment of freedom.

Instinctively River reached over pulling his coat tight around his thin body. " Everyone's at the café, you ready? "

"Can you hear her," he said softly, "my TARDIS ?" His voice was soft and anxious. He had not been inside his beloved ship since landing on the hilltop outside Borel.

" Just a little." Jack answered. "Since we've been in her more, I can feel her a bit stronger, I guess."

"River," the Doctor looked at her with a genuine look of love. "Race ya," he challenged.

With that, he took off across the tarmac. He could feel her excited call grow louder, forcing him to pick up his pace. By the time that he entered the structure, he was in a full run, oblivious to the curious people watching or Jack and River behind. Bypassing the lift, he found the stairs and took them two at a time until he reached the third floor, automatically turning the corner to the alcove that sheltered her. Jack and River stood back. Neither ever thought such a simple sight as him touching her doors so adoringly could bring such joy.

"Hello old girl, did you miss me?" He felt her chuckle at him. He snapped his fingers and her door opened - - out welcoming her Thief back into their home. He could, hear her, in his head, singing in joy.

For the next five minutes, the Doctor just stood at the console stroking her. He finally drew a breath and input coordinates for the vortex only to have his beloved ship refuse to move. " You must be kidding, " he whinged, hurt by her refusal.

He pulled a face when Jack and River began to laugh.

" She doesn't trust that you'll actually go to Vshak. " River smiled apologetically. "It seems; she will only let me fly her until you are completely well. "

"Well isn't that just wizard. " He dropped his head and looked sideways at River. " I guess that means we're driving to Hank's. " He chuckled softly.

o0o

"Are you sure, I didn't miss Christmas? It's so festive. I love the big tree, River don't you love the big tree? I can't wait 'till it's dark, so I can see the lights," the Doctor chattered, sounding like a little kid. Jack and River were both glad that he couldn't see the delight on their faces. They didn't care that he sounded just a bit ridiculous. "I wish, I could have shown the girls all the lights first," he rambled on, "to see K'Nar light up like a kid, that's ... That's Christmas. No bombs, no ships crashing into things; the faces of two little girls seeing Christmas lights for the first time. Don't y'all agree?" He tried to sound southern.

"Absolutely, Sweetie," River answered with a breathy chuckle. "Jack?" She glanced at the driver.

"I absolutely agree, that's why as soon as possible, I'm taking them both to Disney World."

"Oi, that's my job." The Doctor pouted, resenting the two sitting upfront laughing.

When Jack turned the corner on to Peachtree the back seat passenger grew quiet as the number of cars parked on the each side of the street increased. One more turn on Strawberry alley and the Doctor let out a soft groan. "There's a lot of people in town isn't there," he said quietly.

Jack pulled the SUV into the reserved spot in front of the café and turned the ignition off. "You OK," was all he said.

"Fine, I'm fine. That's the alley isn't it?" The Doctor stared at the narrow alley running beside the café. The front window had paintings of Father Christmas and Big Ben. The sight brought a breathy chuckle, but his palms were sweaty and his hearts were beginning to race again and his stomach began to churn from nerves. He felt foolish and stupid, but he couldn't help the thought of bolting from the car to run. Before he knew it, River had opened his door and took his hand. The place inside looked crowded and he swallowed the bile down.

"Come on, Sweetie," she encouraged.

When he stepped out of the car, he unconsciously checked for his escape routes, and then surprised River and Jack by passing the old elm and heading for the back of the alley. He didn't notice the looks of confusion on their faces, or on the faces of the folks watching from the front window. He heard K'Nar in his head and smiled slightly as he reassured her that he was okay. The walk to the back fence only took seconds, but he felt like as if it were a football field or - maybe an airplane tarmac. He stopped next to the dumpster and turned in a small circle. With his shields back up to everyone, but K'Nar, it was only in that moment that Jack understood and stopped River from following. He walked around the bin and placed his hand on the fence and just stood there, and then finally looked at them. "I remember this. It was pitch black and raining so hard. The lightning flashed across the sky every few seconds. I remember, I thought, I was being bombed, but I couldn't figure out why. I screamed for her and - there - was nothing but thunder. I thought, I was in Cardiff and couldn't figure out why anyone would bomb Cardiff. I mean - - really Cardiff?" He chuckled nervously. "I know you said, I jumped with a vortex manipulator, but I - - still can't remember that."

"It'll come back, Doc - - eventually, it will all come back."

"You know what happened to me those last few days, don't you?" He looked at them with tears brimming.

"Spoilers," River answered softly.

The Doctor snorted and the scrubbed his face.

"You're going to make folks nervous if we don't get in there," Jack said quietly.

"Come on, Sweetie." River stepped around Jack and went to him. "It's a party, I love a party. I hope there's room to dance."

Seconds later, the Doctor stood in the doorway, frozen in place by the sight of so many people in the café. Between family members of the Munson's and Nan, plus all the folks who belonged to the Cafe' Brigade, sixty people crowded into the little restaurant. He stared at the sea of faces, fighting the overwhelming urge to run. He backed into Jack as he edged himself toward the door. K'Nar stepped out of the crowd and smiled as she spoke telepathically.

_Hello My Lord, it's going to be fun. They have pie and something called turkey._

_Really, a turkey and pie ? Guess we should eat, huh._

He held his hand out, "You ready ?"

K'Nar nodded as she led him into the crowd.

No one noticed nearly three hours later when Jack stepped up to Hank and pulled him into the kitchen. " Can I talk to you - alone?"

"Don't worry, Jack, " Hank laughed as he took a swallow of his drink, "my guardianship ended when he walked out the door this afternoon. He looks like he's having fun. I never thought that I would see that. Amy was right, though. "

"About what ?" Jack grinned at the man that he now counted as a friend.

"That boy is one very lousy dancer. " Hank laughed and then turned to face Jack, his tone more serious. " Thanks. It means a lot to all of us that you didn't hustle him to the plane. "

"He would have wrecked the car. He was excited about this party. "

Hank chuckled before he spoke. "He checked out the alley to see where he showed up. didn't he?"

"Yeah, he still can't remember being dumped or what happened. Personally, I hope that he never does. Having this to come to helped stop him from bolting. I don't think he expected so many people, though. But, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. First, thank you. You saved him, and I can't ever thank you enough for that. Not ever. If there is ever anything any of you ever need, all you have to do is call, and I will be here. "

"Thanks son, I appreciate that, but we're fine. Just take care of him and make sure he comes home for Christmas. "

Jack chuckled and looked away. When he turned back, his expression was serious. "I need you to do one more thing for me. " Jack pulled out a thick envelope and handed it to Hank. " This is for Annie. Don't give it to her until after Christmas. Maybe even New Year's Day. "

Hank looked perplexed as he took the envelope. " What is this ?"

"It's the deed to a little three bedroom cottage with a garden and a swing set for Emily. It's also the title to the SUV we've been driving. That - you can give to her once we're gone. I saw that death trap she drives. It barely gets her to work. It won't get her to school. "

"School ? Jack, she doesn't go to school. "

"Here's the thing, " Jack pulled out a second envelope. " This is a trustee declaration. I have appointed you trustee of an account that will pay her tuition at the university of her choice through to her PHD. It will also cover the salary for a proper nanny. She can ' t get here until after New Year's Day. That's why I don't want you to tell Annie yet. There is also the name of a tutor who has been paid to help her get her high school diploma and prepare for any entrance exams. The fund will cover her living expenses for her and the baby. She cannot use the money for anything to do with that idiot who fathered Emily or her parents. I figure, she'll still work so I have hired a tax consultant to help you keep it all straight. "

"Jack - that's got to be... Why are you doing this ?" Hank was almost speechless.

" I have very little use for money. I live where I work, and Torchwood covers my expenses. And thanks to Yan's money management, I have more money than I can shake a stick at. I don't have a family of my own anymore. Annie ..." Jack said, "Annie is - brilliant. It's rare to meet someone who is absolutely kind despite being treated like crap by the people who are supposed to there for you. She is different in more ways than I can count, and on top of it she is extremely intelligent. She deserves a life, Hank. Her father might have turned his back on her, but I intend to see to it she fulfils her destiny. Please, do this for me. I don't want her gratitude, or for her to think I want something: I don't. Once I'm gone, I won't speak to her again unless she needs me. Help me, help her, please. "

Hank stared at the envelopes in his hand with tears in his eyes. Without a word he reached and hugged Jack as tight as he could. " It would be my absolute honour, Captain. "

"Thanks. I guess we need to say goodbye, huh. It's time to go home. "

It was another hour before they left. In the waning light of the day the black SUV pulled on the tarmac of the small airport. After a last set of hugs and kisses from the Americans, the Brits boarded the plane, leaving the Doctor to his final goodbyes. He stared at his feet for a long moment before looking up at his rescuers.

"You know, every day I remember something and I think, how could I forget that, like my best friend's mum when I was a child. She made the best dumplings, with nuts and this sticky sauce." He looked at his adopted family with tears. "Today, I remembered my Mum and Dad. My Dad was a stickler for rules. My brother, he was a great rule follower. My Dad would always say to me, you'll never amount to anything if you can't follow the rules. I hated rules. He packed me off to school, so I 'd learn the rules. The day before they died, he made a point of telling me how much of a failure I was. My Mum just kept looking at me with sad eyes. I knew that she loved me, but she never said that day."

"Thete," Hank said huskily.

"The thing is," Thete continued tearfully, "you lot didn't even know me and you said it - - all the time."

"Thete," Nan said softly. "Your parents loved you."

"There has only been one other person, I would have been so proud to call my Dad - until now. I wish, Hank, that you were mine, and I wouldn't trade having my two Mums for anything. I ... I love you, all three of you. And Annie is a great little sister."

"Come here, Cowboy." Nan pulled him into her arms and hugged him tight before kissing his forehead. "I will see you at Christmas, do you hear me."

"Yes, ma'am," Thete answered he buried his head into her neck and hugged her as tight as possible.

Sarah pulled him into her arms for a hug. "We've already decided; you're staying with us and we all be together for Christmas Day. It's the joy of a big house." She tugged his overcoat snugly around him. "You bring your friends, and you come home - - to your family."

"Yes ma'am." He smiled and then turned to Hank. "Thanks - for my life."

"Go home; I will see you in three weeks and this summer; we'll go fishing.

"I hate to break this up," Jack stood at the top of the plane's steps with a broad smile on his face, "but we've got clearance and the tower says we need to go."

Thete huffed slightly and watched his new family walk away before he boarded the plane. Once safely inside, River dialed her vortex manipulator. As the plane took off into the evening , The TARDIS had her Thief, his wife and the Vshakians safely in the vortex.


	42. Chapter 42 Justice for Stolen Lives

Jack sat on the edge of the bed watching Ianto sleep, memorising every curve of his face, every lash, even the way his beard grew. The start of a beard gave him a sort of rough quality, a quality that just wasn't there after he shaved. His eyes scanned down the sleeping man's for, the way the covers draped over his frame. Few would believe that Ianto was as muscular as he was underneath the three piece suits that he wore, but lying here now, Jack appreciated every muscle. There wasn't an ounce of fat on Ianto anywhere. Not that he ever would get the chance to become flabby while working for Torchwood. The very nature of their jobs prevented anyone from going flabby. Jack traced a finger gently down Ianto's biceps. His physique was toned, and ... Ianto shifted in his sleepy and muttered something like: _not now, go back to sleep, Jack_. The sleepy utterance brought a grin as Jack's hand stopped mid-air, and then rested on his own hip.

Jack couldn't believe his own stupidity when it came to realising just how much he truly loved the young Welshman lying next to him. Loving anyone hadn't been on his agenda for such a long time, but somewhere along the way, Ianto stopped being a part-time shag, morphing instead into his partner. Jack was afraid to say life partner; he would never have a life partner. Still, since coming back two months ago, they had made a commitment to each other. Something neither ever thought would be possible. Jack still flirted; it was ingrained in his nature, but for as long as Ianto lived, he would always come home to him.

Almost losing the Doctor taught Jack the value of pulling your friends close and your lover closer. It had especially taught him the importance of saying the L word. Jack whispered that word to Ianto a lot now. Since coming home, they had all gown closer, from dinners out with the Williams's to planning ski trips in Switzerland. It was almost like having Tosh and Owen back. He chuckled to himself. Torchwood had gone domestic while keeping the planet safe from whatever fell through the rift.

Jack knew that he should be asleep. Maybe, he was too tired. He and Ianto had played hide-n-seek with the stopwatch until they collapsed in exhaustion, but then he just laid awake staring up at the ceiling unable to let go of the day's events. Finally, somewhere around three, he gave up the attempt to sleep, placed a gentle kiss on Ianto's cheek, and eased out of bed. Ianto mumbled and shifted in his sleep bringing a smile from his partner. In need of coffee, and two aspirin, Jack quietly slipped into his trousers. pulled up his braces and headed up the ladder.

This had been a rough week for the Torchwood group. For some strange reason, a gaseous alien had come through the rift and started attacking dogs. The thing had a real taste for the long haired yappy ones. Jack didn't care that it decreased their population, but the old ladies and the dog show crowd certainly did. Even the Queen complained. To shake things up a bit, a chemical dump into the sewer system triggered a Weevil population explosion in the parks and sewers leading to an increase in their sightings. While doing a population count, Jack lost a battle with a mother weevil protecting her baby. The result was his throat getting ripped out and a perfectly good great coat getting shredded - - again. In all, it was truly a lousy week.

He climbed the ladder from his hideaway, padded to the kitchen in his bare feet, found the aspirin and dry swallowed three pills. Even nuked, a cup of Ianto's leftover coffee was better than anything he could make. The report he'd left on the table still needed a signature, but it could wait until at least daylight. He dropped down on a chair half expecting Tosh's ghost to come along and smack his feet off the table off. Instead, he heard the sounds of the TARDIS fill the cell hallway.

A night of fun with Ianto left him a bit stiff and sore, limiting his run to the cells to more of a quick step. He laughed when he reached the ship in time to see the Doctor step out of the TARDIS looking decidedly guilty.

" What are you doing here ? I have the trial date marked on my calendar, and this isn't the day. "

"I escaped - sort of. I have about five minutes before someone realises that I'm gone." The Doctor gesticulated.

"I'm amazed that she let you fly her. Why did you escape ?"

"Escape is probably a harsh word. It was more - I asked. Well, I say asked, more like pleaded and the TARDIS relented. I wanted her to go somewhere else, but she came here. I guess, she doesn't think I'm ready to be allowed out on my own yet. "

"How are you doing, Doc?" Jack pulled him into a hug.

" Better, I'm better. Christmas was great. I say great, it was fun. Had a lot of fun. They missed you and the Ponds. River, and I had a good time. K'Nar and Nela came with. They really had fun. You should have seen them opening Christmas presents. I think Vshak will have a new holiday soon. I lasted three days before River decided I was getting overwhelmed and took us home. I don't suppose you have any Jammy dodgers. Vshakians are wonderful, but they don't have a wide variety of biscuits. I'm trying to teach them how to make a Scone and a proper cup of tea."

"Come on. I think we have some in the cupboard. I'll fix the tea." Jack chuckled as he kept one arm around the Doctor and pulled him to the kitchenette.

The Doctor dropped down on a chair, and crossed his gangly legs. Jack couldn't help the smile that crept across his face. His friend no longer looked like death warmed over. In fact, he looked healthy. Still skinny, but he no longer had that refugee look. He wasn't sure that he liked the tweed and bow-tie, though.

"Okay, spill; why did you escape and how long has it been for you really?"

"It's been six months, ten days, eighteen hours and tw... "

"I don't care about the seconds. How are our girls - really?"

"They are bloody marvelous." An enormous grin broke across the Doctor's face. "K'Nar has pretty much resumed her telepathy with everyone but me and Nela. The Queen has obtained a tutor for Nela. Until she came to Earth, it seems no one realised how bright she is. Even the Vshakians have their prejudices."

"What about TBrae, I can't stop wondering what happened to her?" Jack asked as he set two mugs on the table and waited for the kettle.

"I've only actually seen her a couple of times. She has twenty-four hour care. She isn't catatonic anymore, but she's ... never going to be right. She recognizes K'Nar's voice, but since she has shifted back to Vshak the poor thing can't wrap her head around it."

"Is she still - -"

"Pregnant? Yes. It turns out she was assaulted three times in just a day. The baby isn't due for a while yet. It's a boy. The healers talk to him, so he should be fine. I have told G'Na he shouldn't stay on Vshak. I'm trying to talk her into letting me find him a proper human home, maybe with Annie or Nan."

"Poor little kid. So - what happened at Christmas ? What did you mean by a little overwhelmed ? "

"Nothing. It was nothing. Now, I need some help on a delicate matter. "

"Nothing means something. What happened ?"

The Doctor picked up a paper towel left on the table, and began twisting it before he drew a deep breath. "Jack does the Valiant ever invade your sleep?"

"For awhile ... but then, occasionally there are a few things that manage to surface. But with a little time, I usually manage to lock it up. What happened at Christmas?

The Doctor snorted and dropped the now shredded napkin. "Remember Hank's son, Eric? Well, I might have had a dream and slugged him when he tried to wake me up. They were all extremely understanding, but I got a little - non-communicative, so River told them, we were flying home. The healers were not happy when we got back, and they wouldn't let me back out without a," he made air quotes with his fingers, looking extremely uncomfortable, "helper for a month."

"Jeesh. But you are better - now ?"

"Of course, the TARDIS let me in, didn't she ?"

"Right," Jack snorted, " alright, what's up ?"

"I need help to find someone," the Doctor uncrossed his legs, leaned forward looking serious. "And when we do - I need you to stop me from killing him. "

"Bloody hell, Doctor?" Jack sat up straight. "What are you talking about?"

"His name is Varak the Betrayer. His real name is Varak Dai."

_God,_ Jack thought, _how does he know?_ He swallowed before he spoke, keeping his voice even. "Who is he, and why would you want to kill him ? You do understand Doctor, the Continuum is in jail - right?"

"They're missing one. He is the man responsible for K'Nar's kidnapping. I did some checking. A few days ago, I finally got a servant to tell me why they call him the Betrayer. He used his own daughter to find out K'Nar's routine. He paid a servant girl to get the information and then left her to be tried for treason. "

"Do K'Nar's parents know that you know this ? I mean, do they know you're going after the man ?"

"No. No, they don't."

"Doc, revenge has never been your style. Why are you doing this ?"

"Jack, " the Doctor struggled to control his tone, his rage evident in the way he clinched and unclinched his fist, "did you know that it is considered a form of rape for a Vshakian female to be forced to see a male naked ?"

"No. G'Na and I talked a lot, but she left that little nugget out."

"Every time they sent K'Nar to take care of me, she was being emotionally raped. She's thirteen, Jack. Thirteen and she's seen more than she ever should, and they used me to do it. On top of it, he used his own daughter to hurt her best friend. I am asking you to help me bring him to justice. I don't want to kill him, but if you don't come, I can't promise that I won't. I can't ask River or the Ponds. They have been through enough. It's bad enough that they are going to the trial. Help me, Jack. "

Jack sat back in stunned silence. " You've finally learnt something. Give me five minutes. " He finally spoke as he got up and headed for his room,

"Learnt, learnt what ?" The Doctor yelled to Jack's disappearing back.

o0o

As soon as Jack was on board, The Doctor keyed in the coördinates for a place where he had not travelled since Donna. The TARDIS materialised on the edge of a bazaar on Shan Shen. Jack stepped out of the TARDIS into a swirl of shoppers with the Doctor close behind locking the door. When Jack looked back, he could hear but not see the ship.

"Made her invisible, " the Doctor answered the look on his face.

"Why didn't you make her invisible before?"

"Only felt the need once. Here, wear this." The Doctor handed him a ring.

Aww Doc, I didn't know you cared. " Jack laughed.

"Bio-damper combined with perception filter." He slid one on his own finger. "This is what you can achieve with the proper equipment. It will keep Varak from noticing us, or anyone else from tracking us."

"Are you sure he is here?" Jack asked as he looked around at the huge array of tents wondering how he'd missed this place.

"Nela travelled on the TARDIS. Her DNA is on record. All the TARDIS had to do was cast out an ever widening net. He's here. "

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and dialled it to scan. The two men split up, and began what appeared a leisurely stroll through the narrow, crowded streets of the market. Silk flags flying above tents advertised everything from tiny, weird looking animals for pets to brightly coloured cloth for sale.

Agents of the Tricksters Brigade still worked a few booths. He didn't worry about them. With the rings, he and Jack would go unnoticed by anyone intending them harm. It took an hour to reach the tent where the betrayer of Vshak had set himself up in business as a fortune teller. They laughed at how far a supposed brilliant telepath and seer had fallen. From the line outside of his tent, the Doctor figured the visitors must appreciate the nonhuman psychic telling fortunes. He waited for Jack to catch up. Tonight they would catch a traitor.

For the next two hours, the two men continued their apparent haphazard meanderings through and around the gaudy market making sure to keep the tent in sight. When they finally stopped outside an eatery, Jack grabbed something akin to a rice dish. He was disappointed to see the Doctor sniff and walk away.

"Aren't you hungry?" he said through a mouthful of food.

The Doctor glanced at the concoction that Jack was eating and then looked away. "I don't eat at strange places anymore. The palace, the TARDIS, family - even the Hub, but nowhere else. It's rule four now." Despite the unemotional tone to his voice, his eyes told the story. Part of the Doctor was still afraid.

Jack snorted as he catalogued that piece of information for Martha. The two continued on. The entire bazaar reminded Jack of Peking at the turn of the 20th century. They browsed through the displays until they found an empty stall close enough to keep an eye on Varak's tent. The Doctor rolled his eyes as Jack gave him a running commentary of the passing men and women. He tuned most of it out.

"You even listening to me. I am trying my best to be charming, and you're ignoring me."

"I'm..." the Doctor started.

"Lost in a memory?" Jack asked quietly. "How is your memory doing anyway?"

"Wow, almost four hours before you asked. That has to be a new record." The laugh that followed was hollow. "I remember most of my life." He drew a shuddering breath before he continued. "I remember Moron's hands. They were big, meaty hands. I never saw him make a fist, not once. But ... he could slap you into the next universe. And he did - - a lot. Three - four times a day. I told him that he hit like a girl. My stupid gob, I made the mistake of going one step further and suggested that he was a ..." The Doctor swallowed thickly.

"Gay?" Jack asked softly

The Doctor nodded. "That wasn't the word I used. In fact, I didn't realise that I even knew the word that I used. He didn't like the reference. After he had slapped me across the room, he kicked me until I couldn't move. His partner pulled him off. The next thing I knew, I was getting yanked off the floor in chains. I remember that voice yelling at him for messing my face up. It's the last thing I remember in that place. Do me a favour, Jack."

"What, Doc?"

The Doctor looked at him, his face was a mixture of shame and sorrow. "Don't ask me again."

"Looks like the line is getting shorter." Jack stated with a nod.

The afternoon had given way to evening. The stall owners lit their colourful lanterns giving the place a Christmasy feel. "Get in line," the Doctor ordered as they stepped out of the stall. "I am going to work my away around the back to his tent. When you're in there, use your charm. I need time to look for evidence and scan his computer. He wouldn't travel anywhere without protecting his links."

By the time Jack slipped into position, the suns had nearly sunk below the horizon. Just two people stood in front of him. The Doctor worked his way through the crowd. He hated the crush of bodies around him. The further he moved behind the tents where there were fewer people, the safer he felt. It was ridiculous that these innocent people made his palms sweat and his stomach churn. The fact that he felt so out of control added to his anger. When he slipped into the back of Varak's tent, he was properly angry.

The back of the tent was a jumble of crates and boxes. He muted the whirr of his sonic, making it virtually silent and scanned for the evidence he needed. The results showed mostly the bits and bobs of debris of a wasted life. He worked his way around the chests full of belongings, the bed and other clutter looking for anything that would seal the man's guilt. Checking every few minutes to make sure the man stayed up front, he continued through the junk hunting for the hard evidence for the authorities on Regulus IV.

The Doctor finally located the man's computer tucked in a corner, hidden by discarded clothing. He scanned his way through the useless information hunting for the information buried in the hard drive. 43rd century or 21st the basic design of a computer hadn't changed. The only difference was the holographic display. The Doctor made sure the light wasn't noticeable, inserted a data chip and waited. It only took seconds for the download. When it was completed, he ran the sonic over a few more crates and found the next thing he was looking for; a cache of info stamps. Varak's backup system. The info stamps would contain the records on every transaction that he'd ever made and whom he made it with. He plopped down on the crate crossed his legs and waited for the next forty minutes for the sound of Jack's voice.

The Doctor stood behind the heavy curtain separating the living space from Varak's psychic business. His mind raced as he watched Jack deadpan his way to a reading while he studied the blue alien sitting behind a table. He'd spent months trying to figure out why this latest round of evil had nearly shattered him. Almost a thousand years old, seven hundred plus years of standing up to evil, why did this one incident almost break him ? It wasn't like he hadn't been tortured or had amnesia before. Why was this mess different ?

Watching this supposed man, the answer dawned on him. It was actually remarkably simple. Failure. He had failed one time too many, and because of that five little girls suffered. First, he failed Melody, and then it had cascaded as he crashed through the lives of four more. Little T'Brae who now played as a five-year old and would never grow up. K'Nar and Nela, even Tbrae's unborn baby. How could he be the universe's champion if he couldn't stand up for them ? The memory of K'Nar and Nela playing flashed in his head.

The day before this little trip, he watched as they ran free and happy. When they saw him, they grinned and ran to him in joy. When Nela laid a hand on his chest, she flooded him with warmth. The glow in his soul was like nothing else that he experienced, not even the bonding to his ship. For a second, it had taken his breath. Nela smiled up at him and whispered two little words before turning to go play. It's Time. Nela was right ; it was time. He needed to go back to work and be the Doctor again. It didn't matter that he couldn't remember the last days in the compound. What mattered were those little girls. The memory of that dead child would always burn in the back of his brain. He wanted justice for those innocent lives. And it would start now.

Just a few feet away, the man responsible for K'Nar's torture and for the betrayal of his world chatted with Jack, faking his so-called reading. He was a small man, no more than five feet- four. His black, silver streaked hair added to the aged look of his lined and weary face. The sight of him tripped the Doctor's anger into a complete outrage and disgust. He wanted Varak dead. He wanted to rip the little weasel apart: to shatter his mind into a thousand pieces. He could do it - - without any trouble. His hearts began to race in anticipation of killing his enemy.

Finally, the Doctor drew a breath, slipped off the ring and stepped into Varak's line of sight. The little blue man pushed away from the table, knocking it over as he stumbled back over the chair. His expression reflected a mixture of shock and fear.

"What - you can't - you're not. How?"

The Doctor grinned. "So, you recognise me, Varak Dai - good?" A cold smile spread across the Doctor's face as he stepped up nose to nose with the stunned piece of filth in front of him. "Did you really think that I couldn't get out of a cage; really - how stupid are you? I don't like it when people hurt children Varak, and you," he snarled as he poked the smaller man's chest, "you hurt children that are very dear to me." The Doctor reached toward Jack. "Captain, do you have them?"

"Yep. I haven't used these in quite a while." He snapped a bracelet on Varak's wrist. "Get more than two feet from him and these will shock you. "He glared at Varak with cold eyes and a brilliant smile enjoying the description he gave of the bracelets effects. " More than three feet away your skin will feel like its crawling. Step four feet away and you won't be able to stand the pain," he advised the little man in front of him. " I have a question."

"What?" The little man grunted in discomfort from the bracelet snapping tightly around his thin wrist.

" If you're such a seer; why didn't you see this coming ?"

"Kovarian slipped a potion in a drink. It destroyed most of my talent, left me doing this kind of - stuff to earn a living, " the man answered with a sneer. " Quite the punishment for being wrong on a couple of items."

"Wha - what ?" The Doctor yanked him around. "Punished - you don't know the meaning of the word. " He snarled, his fists clenched in rage. " But, you will. Why?" Spittle flew from the Doctor's mouth as his fury spilled out. "Why did you betray your world? Why did you go after a good woman's child, and why did you use your own daughter ?"

"Money. I needed it and the Continuum paid it," he answered without a hint of remorse. " The King is a mealy mouthed idiot and the Queen stopped my leadership of the Healers council. They owed me."

The Doctor snorted, " Money. They owed you." He shook his head in disbelief. "You didn't get money for betraying your daughter. Why destroy her ?"

"She's not my daughter. I disowned her. She was a mind-blind idiot. Had they allowed me, she would have been destroyed when her mother died. She should have been euthanized instead of being a drag on her fam - "

He never finished the sentence as Jack's fury exploded. His swung with all the power that he had as he punched the man in the mouth. "You son of a..."

Before he could land another blow the Doctor was at the man's side. His eyes turned black with rage as his hands went to the man's temples. He forced his way past Varak's shields as he poured energy in, ripping the man's mind apart. Varak's hands went to his temples trying to pry the Doctor's hands way as he writhed in agony. He shoved up barrier after barrier to stop the invasion, but couldn't. Sweat appeared on Varak's forehead, his nose began to bleed as blackness swirled at the edges of his consciousness.

Unable to move, the Vshakian traitor felt his mind begin to burn.

"Doc, back off!" Jack yelled as he pulled the Doctor's hands away leaving Varak gasping. "This isn't what you wanted. This isn't you. "

The Doctor pushed away from the man in disgust. " You ... Your daughter is bloody brilliant! She is not a mind talker: she is a soul talker. Between K'Nar and Nela, Vshak will have an unprecedented future. I pity you, Varak Dai. You - you are a nothing! And Jack, you are so wrong! This - - this is very me!" The Doctor forced himself to breathe as Jack snapped the second bracelet around the Doctor's wrist.

Jack hauled Varak to his feet.

"Info stamps," The Doctor stuttered between gasping breaths, "There in a box - - on the bed. They have all his records. Get them," he ordered as he pulled Varak out the front of the tent, making sure to stay at least three and half feet away from the man.

Once back on-board the TARDIS, Jack unsnapped the bracelet from the Doctor and secured Varak to the stair railing. The Doctor put her into flight and disappeared into the ship. He felt the ship land. Her efforts to calm his mind failed. The need to hide overwhelmed his desire to see Jack deliver the slime along with the evidence to Borel. H'Tarle would have quite a surprise for G'Na when they returned for the trial. Jack was back fifteen minutes later, and two minutes after that the Doctor felt the ship land in the Hub. It wasn't fair not to say goodbye and say thanks to Jack, but he knew his friend would understand. Besides they'd see each other soon anyway.

o0o

The Doctor had no idea how long the TARDIS hid out in the vortex while he buried the rage again. She listened while he raved for several hours until dropping from exhaustion to sleep for several more. Now, after freshening himself, the ship materialised almost to the nanosecond when she'd left her position along the south wall of the Palace of Peace. The Vshak city of Bnira brought her almost as strong a sense of peace as it did for Thief. Over the last few months, this spot against the wall had become another home. Other than a visit off-world and one long walk with River, the outside universe, did not intrude here. The Doctor congratulated her on the perfect landing and stepped out into the garden. No-one missed him. The girls still played out on the green just as they had before he left. There were no guards running around shouting an alarm the TARDIS was gone. Neither ruler appeared to rebuke him, and best of all, Healer Zedra wasn't standing there ready to dart him. The ancient healer could get quite cross when she felt he wasn't following her instructions.

The girls squealed when the ball smacked into the net. He couldn't resist leaning against the garden wall just to watch as they practiced the football skills that Ianto, Jack and Rory taught them. Just the other day, he'd taken to the field with them. It felt good to play the game as he did with the Pub team at Craig's. That game with Craig's team felt like an eternity ago. Maybe it was. Some things were still fuzzy. He smiled as the girls practised striking the ball with their heads. They were steadily improving their skills. With a little practice and a few more kids there was no doubt they could field a team. The Doctor straightened, then returned to the TARDIS. Five minutes later, he stepped out dressed in a footballer's kit. There was no time like the present to pull one together.

A movement on the edge of the green shifted his attention, stopping him in his tracks. He hitched a breath at the sight as he watched TBrae nervously edge the field with her caretaker close behind. She crept closer watching the other two play. One look at the heavily pregnant teen's expression was enough to know that she desperately wanted to join in. The Doctor found himself muttering come on, you can do it as she edged closer. He squealed with delight almost as loud as TBrae when Nela kicked the ball toward her. She ran clumsily forward until she reached the ball, kicked for all her worth, and sent it flying across the field. Her poor healer gasped in alarm when the girl then began jumping up and down clapping her hands in joy. The Doctor stood stock still while Nela and K'Nar ran to her. TBrae stopped and shrank from them, but he noticed that this time - - she didn't run from them. A minute later, he joined them on the green to let them have a go at an old man. For the first time in months, though, he didn't feel quite so old.

They were both making progress.

An hour later, he returned the TARDIS hot, sweaty and tired and made his way through the ship for the holo room. This time, he welcomed the TARDIS tickling the edges of his mind with her presence. She knew exactly what image he wanted to see. When the door opened, a meadow of red grass lay out in front of him. A cool breeze came off the snow-capped mountains standing in the distance. The cloudless orange sky of Gallifrey played across the ceiling. A herd of Hvok dotted the meadow that appeared to go on forever. It was too bad that he was about to upset the innocently grazing animals day. He rolled up his sleeves of his jersey, took a breath and with renewed energy, he took off. For the next hour, he ran. He ran with the herd until he dropped from exhaustion. He sank into the grass, made grass angels as he inhaled the scent of home. He wasn't sure when he dosed off, but it was at least another hour before G'Na's voice registered in his brain. His beloved ship led her straight to him. She knocked on the door, but didn't wait for an invitation.

"This room is ... amazing. " G'Na stepped into the hologram. Awe filled her voice when she called for him. "You missed your time with Zedra and C'zn. Are you alright ? Where are you?"

"I'm in the middle, just follow my voice. I'm fine, Your Majesty. I just needed to spend some time in the TARDIS to do a little thinking. "

"What is this room ?" she asked when she found him staring up at the fake sky. G'Na had missed communing with the miraculous creature that was this ship.

"This is where I come to remember my home. It's one massive hologram of the estate where I grew up. "

"Since your shields have grown stronger, I can't read you. It's a sign that you are almost well, but it does mean that I have to speak, and I'm out of practice. So, what's wrong and please - don't say : I'm fine . "

He removed the grass stalk in his mouth, and tried not to sound as wistful as he felt. "Just thinking about the girls - - and the baby."

"They keep me up at night," she answered with a soft laugh.

"Your Majesty, do you understand Nela?" he asked without looking at her.

"She's a sweet, bright child who is mind-blind. What is there to understand ?" The conversation confused the Queen.

"What if I were to tell you that she's more, so very much more."

"I am sorry,Doctor, but I don't understand what you are talking about. "

"Nela is something different and her time line is so blended with K'Nar's as to be inseparable. "

"Doctor, you are being cryptic - again."

"Sorry," he said as he rolled over on his side and propped himself up on one elbow. "Sit down. Just listen - please." He waited for her to get comfortable and began again. "K'Nar is a telepath of unbelievable abilities, we know that. But, she is also a seer, although she doesn't understand that yet. Nela is different. Instead of scanning minds, she can scan your soul - and she can heal. My people called them soul talkers. I didn't realise that's what she is until I watched them play a couple of days ago. They both ran up to hug me. While K'Nar chattered away in my head that everything was fine, Nela did something she had never done before. She touched my chest just over my hearts. I felt a tingle, like a shock of electricity, start to flow through me. It went to my very core. A blackness, a weight if you will began to lift. For the first time in months, I have started to feel again. I felt as if I could breathe again."

"Doctor, I am very glad, but what makes you think it was Nela? Maybe it was just your mind realigning itself. That can be a powerful moment."

The Doctor closed his eyes trying to find the words to make her understand. "When K'Nar came home, who calmed her? Who kept her nightmares at bay."

"Nela, she..." The Queen sat back. "She always knew before we did. I never understood how a mind blind could make a lady-in-waiting, but K'Nar adored her. Even our best healers couldn't read K'Nar's turmoil, but Nela always went to her during a nightmare."

"Unconsciously, Nela reads the pain at one's core and tries to heal it. She is trying with T'Brae, but she is still too damaged to trust. Nela isn't strong yet, and she doesn't understand what she is doing, but in a few years she will be incredibly powerful. You must educate her, teach her the religion of your world and how it affects the soul. Teach K'Nar what it means to be a true seer. I've never encountered anyone quite like the two of them. Together, they will change your world.

"Doctor..." G'Na started, but the Doctor shook his head.

"Let me finish. Until Nela laid her hand on my chest, I had no intention of going to the trial. I was just going to deliver people and run. Now, I have to know that those girls get the justice they deserve. It's - really hard to understand, let alone explain. Just cherish them, G'Na: they are the future of your world."

G'Na sat back, not sure what to say.

"There's one more thing, my friend. I know, we have talked about this, and you don't agree, but TBrae's baby can't grow up here. He has to grow up human. I can tell you that if he does, he will come back and shepherd the planet with girls. If he stays here, he will grow up feeling second best, outclassed by a race of telepaths. Please: let me take him back to Earth."

"Who would raise him, Doctor? The Ponds have not recovered from their own ordeal."

"No, but Annie could raise him with Emily. She has a nurse, and she has the support of the Munsons and Nan. They would love him unconditionally."

She laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled. " I promise to consider it." She rose from the grass as gracefully as a dancer. "Let's go. You - - still have work to do."


	43. Chapter 43 Journey to Justice

G'Na stood at the expanse of windows that overlooked the greens outside the family quarters of the Winter Residence. The southernmost continent of Vshak was enjoying the first days of spring. Before long it would be time to move the family, including their guests, back to the Imperial Palace. A smile crept across her face, but she didn't move when the sound of electricity crackled behind her. A field distortion from a vortex manipulator occurred in the back of the room and then quickly dissipated.

"You are precisely on time, Doctor Song," G'Na said without turning to greet her guest.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, and thanks for the code to penetrate the shield. How is he?" River crossed the large room to join the queen at the window.

"See for yourself," she answered softly.

The two stood at the windows watching a dozen young teens running the field as they played football. The Doctor ran up and down the sidelines, clad in a footballers kit with the word Coach emblazoned across his chest, blowing a whistle at one of the girls who kicked the ball out of bounds.

"It seems," G'Na chuckled as she spoke, "that he's decided that this game is a therapeutic way to burn energy. He has spent the last three of your weeks teaching a coaching staff and two teams of young people the finer details of the game. I must say, it does look like fun."

River wiped threatening tears from her eyes as she chuckled at the sight. "I didn't know that he could even play. I am - gob-smacked."

The queen shot a perplexed look at River. The words used by humans still surprised her. She shook her head at and filed the odd word away for future use.

"Look at him run. He looks - so different from when I saw him in the maze. I thought that I'd lost him forever. When you sent word to come, I wasn't sure I could stand seeing that lost, angry look in his eyes again. Our time line was fading. All the times I came and he wouldn't see me, I thought ..." River swallowed hard to stop her babbling. She wasn't usually prone to babbling. "I was so scared," she admitted quietly, maybe for the first time in her life.

G'Na reached for the taller woman's hand and squeezed in support. "I told you that I would not let her win. But... it has been a long journey. For all of us. I am so sorry, but I think we forgot how hurt you were. I'm sorry that he wouldn't visit with you."

She hitched a breath at the memory of their Christmas holiday. Even now, that event clinched her stomach in knots. He would never want his friends to know what happened at the end of that visit.

_"Doctor calm down. You're scaring the girls!" River watched him crash around the console room screaming at her._

_"Get me out of here! I'm not going back, I'm never going back!" He screamed as he threw the coatrack against the wall._

_"My Lord, please - stop!" K'Nar yelled to his mind._

_Mid rant the Doctor turned to face the girl he adored. He backed against the wall of his ship and slid to his knees. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please, I'll be good."_

_"Oh my Lord," she rushed to embrace his shaking body in his arms. The wild eyed look in his eyes terrified her. His thoughts were so jumbled that she couldn't understand most of them. Mixed in with waves of terror that poured off him were cackles of the Mistress' laughter and sounds of a man groaning. He'd barely made it inside the TARDIS when he exploded. They'd watched him become increasingly agitated as they made the short drive from the farm to the ship's hiding place. They had so much fun and then for no apparent reason the nightmares came back. River watched the child cuddle him as he cried like a baby against her chest. Slowly she made her away around the console until she could crouch next to him. Before he could move she placed the hypospray against his neck and injected a powerful sedative in his system. Almost immediately, his unconscious body sagged against K'Nar._

_"Why?" the child looked at River with tears streaming down her face._

_"I don't know, love. Can you hold him while I set the ship down?"_

_"Yes, My lady."_

That was months ago.

She saw him next three months later in the maze, lost and trembling in confusion. That day, G'Na told her that his shields were still so damaged that he twice transmitted pictures of himself lost screaming his anger against the universe. The images of his fury hit K'Nar so hard that she found it difficult to breathe. Both times, the Healers found him curled in a ball, beating his head as he raged. When River returned on her third visit she'd expected to find him back to normal. Instead, she found him withdrawn and hollow; his guilt and anger so intense that it seemed to have etched itself indelibly on his face. The only difference; he no longer hit himself. He refused even to let her in the same room.

"Do not give into the past, Doctor Song," G'Na said softly

"Well," River said with a breathy chuckle, "at least the TARDIS let me in. She helped me at least feel close; to feel that I was with him. He wouldn't let me touch him, but I did get that one walk a few weeks ago." She thought of how her journal pages had faded in places. "But he will let me see him now," she asked. Her voice was filled with uncertainty as she cast a worried expression at the woman who had become her friend. "Right?"

"Yes, he is almost himself. He's shown dramatic improvement over the last weeks." G'Na just smiled warmly, "But,before we send for him, I have someone you should meet. This will explain the biggest source of his improvement."

River's eyebrows knitted in confusion. The queen motioned for her to follow her to a small ante-room. River smiled as she caught sight of a servant holding something bundled in her arms. The woman rose gracefully without disturbing the tiny bundle. "Oh my," River moved to the woman holding the tiny human infant who transferred the infant to G'Na.

"Doctor Song," the Queen spoke gently, "may I present Nathan-Henry-Samuel-Ulysses Smith."

"TBrae's son?" she questioned as she reached for the baby. "How old?"

"Nine days. TBrae became extremely distraught when she went into labour, so we placed her in a trance. She was completely at peace when he came into the world. He was born happy and content, but sadly, she has no idea that he belongs to her. She thinks he is like a pet with clothes."

"Your Majesty, what are you going to do with him," she cooed the words as she traced her fingers across his little chin. "Who named ...?"

"I did," the Doctor interrupted. "Hello, River," he said warmly, almost lovingly as he strode into the room. "The TARDIS said that you were here." He was sweaty but more relaxed and happier than she could remember.

"I named him," he said proudly, "after Nan, Sarah, Hank and my father. Bit long but ... Before we leave, we will meet out on the green at midnight, and we will have his naming ceremony. We will teach him, his name and then - someday who knows. Hey little Hank - Sam ... what will we call you, hey?" He gently kissed the baby's brow as he gathered the infant in his arms.

"Yes, I know, her hair is curly," he chatted with the tiny infant as he flashed a mischievous grin at River, who looked decidedly uncomfortable. "No, you can't use her milk thingies; your milk comes from a bottle," the Doctor teased. "Yes they are nice, but it doesn't matter. They are off limits."

"Doctor!" both women said together.

"What, I speak everything. It was his opinion, not mine." He smiled cheekily.

"You - are going to hold a Gallifreyan naming ceremony - for a human child?" River changed the subject. That's goes against every tradition that I have ever studied about Time Lord culture."

"Yes, we are. I can't think of a single Time Lord who will complain - can you?" He chuckled. The smile on his face never left as he handed the baby back to G'Na, but his tone turned serious. "Can I talk to you, River - in the TARDIS?"

"Only if you promise to take a shower and get out of those - clothes." She wrinkled her nose playfully, laughing at his embarrassment. When he took her hand, she could their timelines solidify again. She didn't need her journal to tell her that the writing was returning.

The walk to the TARDIS was quiet, increasing River's nervous anticipation. The feel of her hand in his made her heart race. The worry of the past few difficult months began to fade away. She stole a glance at this face. The angry, hollow man who trembled at her mere presence a few months ago was gone. This man looked - almost peaceful. Whatever occurred after her last visit was nothing short of a miracle ... if there were such a thing.

Their pace picked up as they exited the palace. She barely had a chance to say hello to the girls as they moved toward the TARDIS one hundred yards away. The girls' perplexed expressions made River wanted to laugh; to run the last few feet with him. The sight of his skinny slightly bowed legs in footballer shorts did more than tickle her fancy. She buried the urge to snatch him up in a passionate kiss right here on the green.

The man that pulled her toward the TARDIS was her doctor, with the same confidence that turned Manton away. His hand gripped hers just a little tighter as they drew closer to the ship pulling her into a trot. He snapped his fingers and the door of the TARDIS opened for them. The door wasn't even closed properly when the Doctor pulled her to face him. With one hand around her waist, he pushed the door closed with the other. River found it difficult to breathe so close to him; closer than they had been in months.

He cupped her face gently with his left hand while the right fingered her curls. "I need to say: I'm sorry, River." His voice was hardly more than a husky whisper. "I'm really so very sorry."

"For what, my love?" Her voice caught as she answered.

For all the times in the last few months that I pushed you away. I was so angry and so ashamed. I didn't want you to see. I didn't ... I couldn't let you see."

"I know, Sweetie. I do understand." She stroked his angular face; his sweat felt so good on her fingers. She had almost despaired of ever touching him again.

"I remember you - I remember leaving Demons Run wanting to make you happy, to give you back your life. The life that you should have had. I couldn't. River. Your path is fixed, and I can't undo it. It bends and twists, but it's fixed."

"Oh, Theta," she murmured reproachfully, "I don't want my life changed. I want those bends in my life. I don't want one minute of our adventure changed." She laid a gentle hand on his ridiculously young face and stared into his ancient, loving eyes.

"I know where I want us to go, River," he whispered ardently as he brought her face closer, gently kissing each eye before kissing her properly. His tongue teased across her lips asking for access to her mouth.

She breathed heavily against his mouth as she whispered, "Let's make this a good start, yeah."

"Yeah," he whispered back. His hands ran through her curls as he explored her mouth with his tongue.

She savoured the very taste of him and felt his need press hard against her. His need. He needed her. When they finally drew apart, River knew that not one second of her remarkable life had changed. Despite the heartache that she knew lay ahead, she was incredibly glad.

The TARDIS kept her doors locked the rest of the day.

o0o

The TARDIS groaned into reality at Borel's Justice Centre. " I made her invisible," River called as she the scanned the street around the building. " The place is crawling with news crews out front, so I've parked her in the alley. "

The TARDIS tried hard to control it, but once again her anxiety bled through the translation circuits making everyone jumpy. She couldn't help the hatred that she had of this place. It was one thing to bring the humans here, but Thief wasn't ready; not yet. Maybe he never would be. This place made him afraid. He tried to hide it, but he couldn't: not from her. How could he; it made her afraid too. Regulus IV had come close to being the last straw for her Time Lord. Not since the Time War, had he suffered such an emotional ordeal. This place forced him to relive too much grief while dealing with the new trauma.

For them, almost a year had passed since he'd first come to this disgusting place. The Healers and G'Na spent hours helping him heal from the physical and psychic damage caused by this place. Other than taking him on the trip to visit the Americans at Christmas and his journey to capture Varak, the TARDIS kept her doors firmly shut, keeping him safely on Vshak. She keened in agony when he pounded on her doors, begging for her to help him run from nightmares and flashbacks that threatened to swallow him whole. He had come close to losing the battle.

Now here he stood, trying to control his breathing; forcing himself to stay calm. For just that moment, she did consider taking him to the Vortex. She couldn't ; he was back to keep his promise, but she did consider it. She blasted him with her concern, and he thanked her for it , chuckling to himself at her next idea. She could lock the doors and not let him out. They could return another day, when he was stronger.

The TARDIS heard the blue woman chide her. She could not protect him from this. If she ever wanted to travel unfettered with her Thief again, he had to fight and win this last battle. Knowing this didn't make her less afraid for him. The Doctor caressed the console. I'll be alright, Dear. This one is for the kiddies. He looked up to see River's warm, reassuring smile, slapped his hands together, swallowed hard before turning to face five worried friends with his usual cheeky grin. " It's snowed outside. I love a good snow. "

Three minutes later, a nervous Doctor was inside the Justice Centre surrounded by Jack, the Ponds, River and the Queen. K'Nar was tucked safely next to him. A tall Regulun male in full dress uniform stood in front of them smiling broadly. The Doctor watched the man pull Jack into a bear hug. "Jaaack," the Doctor warned as Jack hugged the man back.

"It's alright, Doc. H'Tarle is an old friend."

"Thank you, Captain. Your Majesty," H'Tarle bowed his head at the Queen as he spoke, " welcome back. To be honest, I didn't think that you actually would come. I am especially pleased to see you, your Highness." He winked at the Princess.

"Thank you, Inspector. " G'Na smiled warmly as she shook his hand.

The Doctor winced as the Regulun greeted everyone, not sure whether or not he should feel left out.

"Hi, Curly Tops," H'Tarle said seductively as he winked at River

The Doctor felt jealousy rise with the familiar tone and actions the stranger showed toward River.

" Hello Doctor. " H'Tarle extended his hand. " I am Chief Inspector Rani H'Tarle. I can't begin to tell you how grateful we are that you are here. When we didn't hear anything from the Shadow Proclamation about you, we weren't so sure that you would come."

"Hello," The Doctor hesitated then answered quietly shaking his hand, worried the man would try to hug him, something that still remained difficult for him.

"Thank you for your gift, Doctor."

The Doctor just nodded. He had an overwhelming, ridiculous urge to run. He felt himself relax when K'Nar slip her hand in his.

"Gift, what gift ?" River and the Queen asked together. " When did you... ?" River questioned as she shot a stunned look at Jack who just smiled.

The Inspector smiled. " You'll see in court. "

Court, the Doctor thought to himself before he spoke to the Inspector. " I wasn't actually planning on coming, " he said as he acknowledged the man, " but things changed. How does this work ?"

"Well, this trial is a big thing. To avoid the news crews out front we're transmatting the witnesses straight to the courtroom. The families are going by hover to the back of the building. Sorry, but for your protection, you and K'Nar will be kept in seclusion until it's time to enter the courtroom. My men will escort all of you in through a closed off hallway. No cameras are allowed. We don't want anyone's pictures showing up in the public domain. The Justice Committee wants the victims protected at all costs. "

"We're not victims," the Doctor responded with his usual defiance firmly in place.

"Sorry?" H'Tarle answered, confused by the comment.

The Doctor's arm wrapped tightly around K'Nar, " We're survivors, Inspector," he offered as an explanation.

"Right, well some of the - survivors are still a mess, so Healers are available if the stress becomes too much. Just raise one finger and the court proceedings will stop until everything is alright. I know, you may not need them, but I am required to explain it. K'Nar, do you have any questions ?"

When she shook her head, he spoke softly, "Good if you do, just ask me or one of the healers. I know that you're strong, but you don't have to be. Now you two survivors are the last to show up, so I need you to say goodbye, okay?" It's getting late." H'Tarle stood back to let everyone say goodbye.

Before she left, The Queen hugged her daughter, ensuring that her shields were firmly in place, and then turned her attention to the Doctor. " Remember, I will know if your emotions become too much, and you will hear me in your head telling you what ?"

"Fish fingers and Custard, " He chuffed quietly. "I'll be alright, he whispered mentally. He could feel her strengthening his mind; helping him push the fear aside that he didn't even want to recognise. He could feel the TARDIS tickling the back of his mind.

"I'm alright," he assured Amy and River as they both hugged him tight. He winced when Jack slapped him on the back. He flashed his five companions a self-assured smile as they reluctantly followed an officer to the transport.

Once back outside, Amy stopped and looked back at the door, her worry plainly etched on her young face.

"Amy," Rory called quietly, "you alright?"

"He hasn't said anything." She turned back to face the others. "He's been silly and all fake happy, but he hasn't said."

"Said what?" Jack asked, looking perplexed. "He seems nervous, but OK."

"No - he's not. Your Majesty, does he remember, and he's not saying?" Amy's voice was filled with worry for her best friend. She had visions of him attacking the defendants when he saw them.

"No, Amy." G'Na walked back to the young human and laid a hand her arm. "He doesn't remember that day, or the faces of the men who... His last clear memory of this place is the excruciating pain when the guards came into his cell, forced him into a chair and attempted to reset his shoulder. I can tell you that I believe that before we leave this planet he will, or he will never remember. I'm not sure that I know, which is best."

"Why hasn't he told us what happened on Vshak? He was there for months, he never stays anywhere for that long."

"Amy, please," River said quietly.

"You went to see him: why didn't he want to see us?"

"Because it hurt too much, Amy," G'Na answered for River. "He still blames himself for your daughter. Most of the months he spent with us, he was nearly immobile with guilt and grief, but he's ready to move on now. You will have to do the same," G'Na said sympathetically, but firmly.

"Right, move on," Amy answered hotly. "After everything that happened; we're just supposed to move on."

"Amy, we're lucky that he didn't just hide in the TARDIS and run like he's always done," Rory said lovingly.

"Amy, we all have to move on." River put an arm around her mother. "Otherwise they win, and we've been through too much to let them win."

"Come on, Red," Jack reached for her hand. "Let's get this thing done."

o0o

They were gone, leaving the Doctor standing in the centre of the reception room clutching K'Nar to his side. He looked at H'Tarle, unsure of what to do. He didn't like that feeling of helplessness.

H'Tarle pushed away from C'Kuk's desk and smiled at his daughter, "C'Kuk, could you take K'Nar to my office. I want to talk to the Doctor for a minute. "

"Uh, why ?" The Doctor pulled her closer.

" She'll be fine, Doctor. C'Kuk will stay with her in the other room. This will take just a second. "

K'Nar looked as nervous as he felt as he nodded toward C'Kuk, "It's okay, I will be there in just a minute."

"Yes, my Lord." K'Nar's voice trembled, but she nodded and followed C'Kuk.

The Doctor kept a reassuring smile on his face until she had gone through the door and H'Tarle turned back to face him.

"What is it, Inspector ?" he asked with a no-nonsense tone. "You have two minutes, starting now. I promised not to leave her. " The Doctor cast glances at the office where K'Nar was waiting. His smile hid an implied warning at H'tarle.

"First, thank you for coming; I honestly didn't think that you would," H'Tarle said with a note of gratitude in his voice. "I read people fairly well, and I know that you want nothing more than to grab that child and fly your box out of here, so - thanks.

"Can we just get on with things, Inspector."

"Right, just wanted to ask you a couple of questions. First, I need you to ID a voice and then I've got a couple of personal questions. "

"What voice?" The Doctor ignored the request to answer questions, but H'Tarle continued.

"I checked you out during this investigation. Talked to the Shadow Proclamation about whether they thought you would show up. "

"And what did they say ?" he answered coldly.

"They didn't think you would come. They expected you to exact your own brand of justice. So I guess my question is - why ?"

The Doctor studied H'Tarle's face for any sign that he couldn't be trusted. Jack and River trusted him, so he answered. " For the girls," he answered simply.

"I - don't understand," H'Tarle answered.

"Two had their childhoods stolen; their lives taken for no reason except to punish me. They're gone and there is nothing that I can do to bring them back, but I do not want them forgotten, or their loss to stand for nothing. Two deserve to get theirs back, and a third is stuck in a never-world that she will never come out of. Her baby will never know his mother. I want them to know that an entire world stood up for them. I want the other - victims and their families to know that their suffering won't be forgotten. I have exacted justice before and I probably will again, but this - this is for them. When I leave this place, I want you to stand out on the steps of the courthouse and tell the world to stand up against evil and say not here: not again... never again. "

H'Tarle dropped his head to his chest and smiled tightly. " Before this happened, I thought what I did for a living didn't matter. No matter how hard I worked, I couldn't stop the next crime from happening: the next child from dying. But it does matter, doesn't it, Doctor ?"

"Oh yes, Inspector, " he answered softly, " it matters. You matter. "

"I think, maybe, you have forgotten something, Doctor. "

"I have forgotten a lot. I still don't remember the last forty-eight hours in this place. But, in particular, what have I forgotten ?"

"Just how much you matter, Doctor. Now," H'Tarle said as he pushed himself away from the desk, "Let's get that I.D."


	44. Chapter 44 The Trial

The crackle of a transmat beam wrapped around the Doctor and K'nar, leaving them a bit disoriented when they materialised inside the courthouse's conference room. A murmur went through the small crowd of survivors at the arrival of the last two former prisoners of the hated Continuum. The Doctor pulled K'Nar close as he glanced around the conference room filled with a half-dozen species, from human to Banik, all NaV0's victims. Healers moved through group making sure that they were all coping. A conference table laden with a variety of snacks, teas and juices, stood in the middle of the room. Few present took advantage of the of the offerings. The Doctor kept to the edge of the room with his arm around K'Nar's shoulder.

The two watched the healers work the crowd encouraging the victims to start talking. Four months earlier this same group of healers worked with several of these same victims. K'Nar squeezed the Doctor's hand and glanced nervously at the avian humanoids hoping they would leave them alone. He hugged her gently and kissed the top of her head.

"It's alright. You don't have to talk to the healers if you don't want. Do you want something to drink."

"No, Lord. Why are the healers trying to get everyone to talk?"

"Make them a little less nervous. They are in the same time stream, so for them, the nightmare ended four months ago. We are coming back to this point in time. We've had time to adjust and get past what happened here, they haven't."

"Are you scared, my Lord?" K'Nar squeezed his hand again.

"Yeah, actually," he replied softly, "I am." The Doctor understood; his recovered memories made everything as fresh for him as it did for the others.

"Me too." K'Nar nodded politely when an official walked over to reassure the late arrivals. When the woman offered to walk her over to the table for a snack, she leaned away not wanting to leave the Doctor's side

The woman smiled and walked away. A moment later, two tall officials dressed in long red robes came in to patiently explain what they should expect when each victim took their turn in the witness box. The two men stayed and patiently answered questions. For once, the Doctor found out that he liked the anonymity of being just another face in the group.

"Alright, it's time," the official announced in a deep, firm voice.

K'Nar held his hand so tightly that he half-expected to find bruises when he checked later. For now, he tolerated the discomfort and made sure that he kept a reassuring smile plastered on his face and a snug embrace around her small frame. Keeping a tight rein on his emotions was hard. Just being here had both twisted them in knots. He quickly tightened his protective hug when K'Nar leaned into his side trembling with anticipation of walking in that courtroom.

"It will be alright. You're safe," he reassured her as he planted another kiss the top of her head. "I won't let anything happen, okay. "

K'Nar nodded her head against his chest. " I know, my Lord. "

o0o

The court room was large with divided spectator seating. A large, ornately carved bench that accommodated four judges dominated the front of the large room. Immediately in front of the bench sat a clerk's desk. Chairs stationed behind a half wall lined the left side of the room. Two large desks sat eight feet out from the judges' bench to accommodate the State's Advocate and the Defense Advocates. The witness box sat angled to keep the witness focused on the State's Advocate and away from the prisoners. The rows of seats directly behind the State's Advocates tables were reserved for - as the Doctor termed them - the survivors.

The witnesses filed in from a side door nervously glancing around the room and murmured sighs of relief when they saw their families were allowed to sit directly behind them. The Doctor was relieved that his little group was allowed to do the same. Once the group was comfortably seated the court doors were opened to spectators that quickly packed the open seating of the court room. Then began the wait for the trial to start.

Several minutes ticked by before a ceremonial guard entered through a door next to the raised Judges bench. Even the Doctor had to admit that the Avian man struck an imposing figure. His red ceremonial uniform gave him an air of authority that reminded the Doctor of the Gallifreyan court officers. A black cape pinned to his silver breast plate flowed around him when he walked. A black, double-headed bird adorned both the centre of the breast plate and the clasps that secured the cape to his breast plate. The same double head topped the ceremonial long staff carried in the man's left hand.

Already nervous, the people packed in the courtroom jumped slightly when the guard pounded the staff hard against the floor four times, announcing, "Hear ye, hear ye, Citizens of Borel, prepare for judgement. All Ye requiring services of the Justices come now to bear your grievances."

Everyone stood as the four Justices in red robes entered the room and took their places. The guard pounded the floor again, and they all watched the worst members of the Continuum shuffle in chains to the prisoners' box. The thump of the staff made everyone jump again as the guard instructed them to sit. The Doctor dropped heavily in his seat and then heard G'Na in his head asking how and when Varak had joined the others in jail. He just smiled but said nothing. He couldn't; the faces in the prisoners' box twisted his gut in fear.

It was ridiculous, and he knew it, but there it was. He swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat at the sight of Moron and his cohorts. He was ashamed that they still made him afraid. He felt his shoulders tighten at the sight of the only woman sitting in the box. K'Nar scooted closer to him, shaking at the woman's mere presence. Dressed in a shift with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, NaV0 looked small, pensive and afraid; not at all as he expected. Yet, that face held the voice that, even now, sat right up there with the Daleks, haunting his nightmares

He liked seeing the prisoners squirm. It not only gave him a sense of relief, but brought him a sense of pleasure. He wasn't sure they could even see him. He wanted to jump up and scream at them. The anxiety of everyone around him bombarded him, heightening his own feeling of panic. He felt G'Na in his head like a reassuring whisper. After all this time, he expected more of himself. Somewhere in that box, was the face of his last two days on this planet. It made no sense that he still couldn't remember.

The State Advocates stood and addressed the court. The off-worlders had translators in their ears. The Doctor had the TARDIS. He understood every click and grunt of the language as each of the three representatives laid out their part of the case. They had divided it into three sections: first stolen goods and frauds, next they would focus on the Continuum's slave trade. The most difficult part of the trial was saved for last: torture and murders.

Boring technical dribble filled the morning. The court listened as the State's Advocates laid out an in-depth case against the criminal enterprise that encompassed the Continuum. Money laundering, kidnapping, slavery, drug factories and murder for hire were just the beginning. By the time the charges were established, it was already early afternoon. When they finally recessed for lunch the Doctor had the overwhelming urge to just leave, but an hour and a half later, he was back in court waiting his turn in the witness box. Three witnesses established the purpose of the compound and of the bodies that were found there. Then, as the first surviving victim, it was his turn.

The Doctor sat in the witness box looking at the State Advocate. The man's red robes covered his feathered body. A red, three-point mitre rested on his head giving him a priestly bearing. That thought made the Doctor uncomfortable, so he shifted his focus to the man's hat; deciding that a fez would look better. When this was over maybe he could convince them to change their headgear. He kept one hand tucked in his tweed jacket pocket nervously twisting a small meditation stone that G'Na had given him. To everyone in the gallery he looked in complete control. The gallery was wrong.

"Tell me sir ; are you the individual known as the Doctor?"

The Doctor returned the man's penetrating look, feeling exposed and threatened. The red robes added to the feeling that he was on display in a circus somewhere. The seconds ticked by as he struggled to find his voice. This shouldn't be so hard. He took a breath and remembered his goal. These people were going to jail. He took a breath, smiled and answered.

"Yes." He cleared his throat and shifted. "Yes I am. "

"Doctor, what is your race, your planet of origin ?" the Advocate asked.

"I am a Time Lord, the last Time Lord of Gallifrey, of the constellation Kasterborous. "

"Doctor, can you tell us why you came to Borel ?"

The words came slowly at first, filled with regret and shame as the Doctor told his story, giving his reasons for coming to Regulus IV.

He told of the long walk from the knoll to the heart of the H'rau district on that fateful fall day. He told of the crowded café, the barely remembered walk back to the TARDIS and then waking up to find himself in the freezing cell. He told of the beatings at the hands of the man he called Moron and others, sometimes as often four times a day. He told of Moron dragging him around the cell by his hair and laughing at how he bounced off the walls after they slapped him across the cell. The worst part for him wasn't the unending pain, but their threats against K'Nar followed by the sound of their laughter.

The Advocate asked if the guards fed him. There were even questions about bathroom facilities. The Advocate showed him the chains that he held him as he twisted from the whip. It took every ounce of strength to relate how it felt when he was yanked off his feet. When the Advocate asked how it felt to have a pain stick shoved against his flank, he wanted to scream, how the hell do you think it felt. It felt like exploding from the inside out, you stupid bird man. But he didn't. His voice stayed cold, calm and detached as if he were relating the tale of someone else's misery.

"Just a few more questions, Doctor. Do you recognise the men who beat you?"

"Yes, they're here."

"Can you point to them, please, for the record?"

He stood, smiled and pointed at Moron and each guard that had come in his cell.

"I'm sorry, Doctor for asking, but you were also assaulted in a perverted manner, were you not?"

The Doctor shifted his eyes back to the prisoners' box. "Yes," he said huskily.

"Can you identify the men who did that to you?"

The Doctor cleared his throat before answering, "No. No, I can't remember their faces."

A second Advocate rose to replace the first. " Doctor, after you were taken prisoner did there come a time when you heard a child scream ?

"What ?" He hadn't expected them to ask that question. The State Healer assured him that his testimony wasn't necessary for this part of the trial. He could feel G'Na in his head flooding him with support. Support or not, the question twisted like a knife in his hearts.

"While you were being held, did you hear a child scream?" the Advocate repeated.

The Doctor blanched. The bile rose again, threatening to erupt into his mouth. He was glad that he hadn't eaten much for breakfast. He was sure that he stopped breathing. The courtroom roared in his ears even though there was perfect silence all around him. Feet shuffled in the prisoners' box, followed by a noise from the gallery. The Doctor looked out at the people sitting a few feet away; spotting a Banik family. The couple held hands crying quietly. They must be her parents. The guard tapped his staff rod for order.

"Doctor, should I repeat the question?"

"Yes. No. I mean, yes I did ," he finally answered, his voice sounded hollow - even to his ears. This was for her and for Melody.

" Tell us, Doctor - what happened? What exactly did you see or hear?"

"I ... I fell asleep. I didn't mean too - really I didn't, but I'd been there for what must have been days. It had to be days. Weeks passed since I'd last actually slept. I was so bloody tired. At first, I thought I was dreaming. Her little voice, some part of a nightmare, but then, she begged." His voice drifted, lost in the horror of that night. "Please, I will be good. Please, I want my mommy. Stop, it hurts. She cried and begged, and that - woman just laughed. As if it was the funniest thing that she had ever heard. A child screaming in pain; how can that be funny ? It lasted for - hours. The voice kept telling me: give me your ship, her suffering will stop. " His voice cracked, " That little child's voice rose and fell until it just drifted off. .." He swallowed hard.

"Why didn't you give them the ship ?" the Advocate asked gently. The courtroom was hushed, but the Doctor heard the huffs and quiet sobs coming from the people in front of him.

"The TARDIS, if misused, can literally blow a hole through time and space, wiping out billions of lives. I couldn't. It was a choice between two lives and the universe. I'm so sorry."

"Do you know what happened to the child, Doctor ?"

The Doctor shook his head, lost in the memory. "She screamed - for hours, and then she didn't anymore. "

"You were shown a vid to make a voice I.D. today by Inspector H'Tarle. Were you able to do that?

"Yes, I did the I.D." He looked at the man why do you keep asking, he thought.

"Did you recognise the woman's voice ?"

"Yes, I recognized her voice," he answered as he cleared his throat. "It was the same voice that laughed, when - - they ... hurt me. "

"Do you know the name of the woman who interrogated you."

The Doctor shifted and recrossed his legs. "Her guards called her the Mistress. Everyone called her that. K'Nar referred to her that way, as well. I ... called her that - just once." The Doctor stared at River imploring her forgiveness. "I swear - it was just once."

"What did you call her the rest of the time?"

"I'm afraid what I called her isn't polite."

"I can imagine, sir. But, please." The man chuckled as if he were giving a child permission to curse.

The Doctor glared at the man in front him as he clinched his right hand "I called her Madam Nut Job or a psychopathic bitch most of the time."

"Is that person in this court room?"

"Yes, it's Prisoner CCIV, Madam NaV0. " The Doctor's voice trembled ; just saying her name made his jaws twitch. He couldn't stop rubbing the stone hidden his pocket.

"For the record the witness has identified Nashta Vorron, your Lordships."

"Doctor, did you really believe that the guards would carry out their threats against the child K'Nar?"

"Yes - yes, I did. Whenever I couldn't see her, I believed they were harming her. They said that they would ... do things to her. I told them, they could beat me if they would leave her alone."

"And did they beat you?"

"Justices," the Defense Advocate protested, "these questions are repetitive."

"The witness may answer. Advocate Nera, sit down!"

"Doctor, please continue."

"Yes, they beat me until I couldn't remember anything anymore, not even what they wanted."

"Thank you Doctor. I have no more questions. "

The defence stood up and looked at the Doctor. " Sir, how do you know that my client is the person whose voice you heard?"

The Doctor sighed, " Because, I watched that video this morning. I watched her laugh and heard her call me, her pet . There is no question that your client is responsible. I will never forget her voice. "

"But, you never saw her when you were held prisoner?"

"No - I never saw her in person, but I heard her every day - three, four times a day. I still hear her - at night - in my dreams."

"Your Eminence, I request that this witness identify my client in trial. There is no way to know if what he was shown was altered or not."

The judges conferred and nodded. "Stand, Prisoner CCIV and speak."

The woman did as she was told, but as she rose a moment of pleasure flickered on her face. It was obvious that she loved being the centre of attention again. The Doctor felt his stomach flip as he watched her malevolent grin. He wasn't supposed to speak, but he couldn't stop. "Why?" he asked softly at first. "Why a child?!"

The room full of Judges and people faded away to just him and that woman.

"Why not, Doctor? There is nothing special about a child. When I was a child, I decided that I would never be weak or to grovel. Anything that does is a waste. That child - was a waste. That, Doctor is what made you special." Her voice had the same sick, sweet tone that he remembered. "Are you having fun yet, Doctor. Are you ready to play?" she finished defiantly. "I will, you know - finish the game."

"I'm sorry that no one saved you." The Doctor's hands were trembling when he turned back to her advocate. "For the record," he said with a firmness that he didn't feel, "that is the voice of my torturer, and the murderer of a child."

"Your Lordships, I protest." The Advocate turned to the judges before he sat down, cursing under his breath. It was obvious that he hadn't expected his client to be so brazen to actually brag in open court.

"The court is ordered to ignore the comment referring to the child. Your dismissed, Doctor," the lead judge responded "and - thank you."

The Doctor stood up ramrod straight. He adjusted his bow tie, stepped out of the witness box and walked past his friends, past the other victims, and past the parents of the murdered child and out of the court room. He knew they were there, but he couldn't face them. His stomach churned with the memory of that tiny little voice screaming in the dark.

He didn't notice River grabbing his coat, or the Ponds and Jack following him out of the courtroom. He didn't notice the crowd milling around the lobby or the news crew. He just had to get out.

He raced out the doors with a hand clamped over his mouth, down the stone steps and into the frigid air. He reached a path by a leafless tree, collapsed to his knees, and vomited everything he had eaten. He could hear the child screaming in his head, despite G'Na telling him, you are safe. He vomited until there was nothing left. His body shook with each heave, not caring who watched.

"Thank you. "

"What ?" he gasped for air. The stranger came up and knelt beside him.

"Thank you. "

He looked up into the face of a woman. She was diminutive, grey-skinned with large eyes and spiky, cream coloured hair: she was a Banik.

"You are on video begging for the life of my child. No-one cares for our species. We are nothing, a slave race. But you - - you begged for the life of our child. You begged them to stop, and then you swore revenge for her suffering. We thank you for that. "

"I'm sorry. I am so very sorry," he choked back the sobs. " If I could have, I would have done anything to save her. I couldn't. Please, I am so, so sorry." Tears ran down his face, turning to little ice crystals.

"We know, and we thank you." She wiped his face. "My daughter had just entered her fourth year. I wish you could have met her. She was funny, gentle and trusting. I am sorry that they used her to bring you pain. Now," the woman said firmly as she took his coat from River and wrapped it around his shivering body, "you must not become ill; then that woman wins."

Jack and Rory pulled him to his feet. "Come on Doc, we need to get you back in, before we all get frostbite." They helped him get his coat sorted, and then he straightened, and went back into the courtroom.

o0o

The trial continued for another three days. T he Doctor watched each video and listened to the stories of the other victims. Seeing himself twisting from chains as a Maldonian whip struck him was surreal, like an incredibly bad 20th century horror movie. He watched NaV0's face as Moron slammed him against the wall. She was reliving the moment; enjoying every second. K'Nar sat tucked between him and her mother. At times, he felt her trembling against his side making him wish they had not let her in the courtroom. At other times, he felt both River and Amy take his trembling hands as his knees bounced nervously at a memory.

Part of his brain wondered why the vid crystals stopped with his forced drugging. What was on the rest of those vids that the Justices didn't want shown? But another part of his brain knew the answer. It didn't seem fair. He wanted to see their faces so that he would know whom to hate. When H'Tarle gave evidence of finding nine little bodies, all tortured and raped, he knew that just the slightest twist in a time line was all that saved K'Nar and TBrae. He wanted to reach across to the prisoner's box, and rip the woman's sadistic, murderous heart out. When did he lose his ability to show mercy? He had none for any of them; he wanted all of them dead, dismembered and thrown into the nearest black hole.

When K'Nar finally took the stand, G'Na reached across River's lap and took his hand . This time, she needed his support as she listened to her gentle daughter as she described the pain of the forced shapeshifting. She described the laughter that surrounded her when she was forced into weird, disgusting creatures. Tears ran down all their faces when she spoke of the beatings that she received for refusing to enter the minds of others. She had never, once shared that pain with anyone. She testified how they finally grew bored with her finally leaving her alone to care for the brutalised Lord, after they inflicted horrific injuries. She explained the laws of her world against a woman seeing a male naked.

And then she copied her Lord. She glanced at Varak. "Why, Lord Varak. Why did you hurt Nela? You were her father, and you were supposed to protect her. Why did you betray Vshak? Our world is peaceful and gentle. Why do you hate us? I'm glad Nela will never see you again, but you should know, she still loves you."

"Child," the Advocate chided her. "You must only answer my questions."

"Yes, my Lord, I'm sorry."

The Doctor and her mother watched with great pride as she finished her testimony. In a strong and steady voice, she told of stealing the vortex manipulator to get them out and of seeing her Lord after the monsters hurt him for the last time.

None of it seemed real.

The sheer number of victims of the Continuum amazed him. Except for the children, none of their other victims suffered the depraved cruelty NaV0 inflicted on the Doctor. The all testified with shame at how quickly they caved, doing whatever nasty thing ordered to do to avoid the pain of torture. When it came time for NaV0 to answer for her litany of crimes, she took pride in admitting her determination to break him. During her testimony, she freely admitted that he was a - - challenge. She remained utterly remorseless.

The Doctor sat through every minute of testimony, and then submitted to G'Na after every session to deal with the memories, the rage, and abject terror it produced. He remembered every beating, every kick, every slap and it twisted his stomach. He could not remember the faces of the men who hurt him that last day in that hellhole. He didn't understand why. At the end of each day, once he was back in the safety of the TARDIS, he ate little, hid from his friends, and slept in the zero room where the TARDIS wrapped him in her healing energy.

At the end of the fourth day, the State Advocate ended their presentation. The Defence offered little in rebuttal. The Justice council called an end to the proceedings and began their deliberations. For six hours, they went through the records and listened to victim statements.

When the court was called back to order, it was close to midnight. Despite the late hour, the gallery was packed when the Council gave their findings.

Madam NaV0 was first to meet her judgement.

"Prisoner CCIV, you have been charged with theft, conspiracy to commit theft, forgery, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping of a royal personage - the Princess K'Nar Llew of the Vshak, kidnapping of one known as the Doctor, kidnapping of the child Vela, kidnapping of the child Monag, kidnapping of the child Zebt, kidnapping of the child Latro, kidnapping of the child Nueroth, kidnapping of the child Xtene, kidnapping of the child Jut, kidnapping of the child Regba, the kidnapping of the child Qreth, the abuse, torture and murder of said children, the torture of the one known as the Doctor, the attempted kidnapping of the sentient being called the TARDIS, the sale of sentient beings into slavery and acts of a forcible perverted nature against the Doctor. Madam NaV0 you are guilty of these crimes. Your properties and monies are forfeit. The Justice Centre will divide and give your properties and monies to your victims, to do with as they see fit. On the first day of the Nlag, you will be taken to the security quarters, placed against the wall, and obliterated from this universe. Remove the prisoner. "

The gallery was stunned when the Doctor rose as they started to remove her. " Excuse me, if I may, Lord Justices? May I speak ?"

"Yes, Doctor. " The crowd wasn't the only ones stunned by his action.

" Don't - execute her, Sirs. Please. Solitary confinement, life in the Guano pits, life in a garbage scow across the back of the universe, I don't care. I have dreamt of dipping my hands in her blood, these others have dreamt the same, but we have talked. Do not execute her in our names. Some think that it's too easy a punishment. For me, enough people have died in my name. I do not want one more death because of me. Not even hers. "

The Chief Justice looked at the sheer number of this woman's victims and at the Time Lord standing in front of him.

"Doctor, " he began after a moment, but stopped. The stunned Justices looked at each other before the Chief Justice found his words. " I must say, Sir; you are a much better man than me. We will - review her punishment. "

The Doctor wasn't in the courtroom when every member of the Continuum and all but one guard received a guilty verdict. The men who raped him and TBrae were condemned to death for the rape and murder of nine children. The Justices were careful not to tie their decision to the Doctor. That he suffered on their territory was a disgrace. His pain was enough. The rest of the Continuum would never smell free air again.

o0o

The morning after verdicts, the twin suns of Regulus IV, began their rise turning the sky into shades of purples and pinks. During the night, the temperature dropped to three degrees below zero with several more inches of snow. Despite the fresh snow and frigid temperature, town maintenance managed to keep the road to the compound cleared. A crowd of townsfolk gathered to watch H'Tarle's men wire it for demolition.

Everything around him seemed so clean and white. The victims and their families joined the townsfolk standing on the knoll above the compound. Reguluns were used to bitter winter weather, but they still shivered in their warm coats and winter apparel. Heaters were placed to make sure everyone could stay warm. H'Tarle's men kept onlookers away from the victims.

This was their moment, their bid for closure, not a freak show.

The Doctor didn't know that the knoll where they stood was the precise spot H'Tarle and his friends launched their failed rescue attempt. Now the Inspector stood with those friends and the Queen - watching him with K'Nar. He flashed a tentative smile back at them before turning his attention to the device in his hand. His thumb ghosted over a small button, as if he were caressing the back of River's hand. He smiled again at the thought of River. Skating, he had taken her skating. He stared down the road to the compound, momentarily lost in the thought and then pushed it away. This was supposed to be closure, that's what everyone said. But it wasn't, not yet. He had one more thing to do.

The Doctor looked down at K'Nar, smiled reassuringly, and handed her the device. He kissed the top of her head, "Stay here, everything will be fine." Without glancing back, he started walking down the cleared path. His stunned companions hadn't expected him to walk to the abandoned compound.

He could hear everyone behind him, muttering. He wished they all would just shut up. He knew what he was doing.

"Just stay here. I'll watch out for him. " Jack reassured his fellow companions, motioning for them not follow.

The Doctor headed for the building where he had been a prisoner. He felt G'Na urging him to come back, but he ignored her. The closer he got the faster he walked until he reached a slow trot. His hearts raced far harder than they should; he could feel them begin to pound in his chest. Despite the cold, sweat beaded across his forehead. He dried his sweaty palms on his overcoat. His stomach churned, threatening to erupt all over again. He wasn't sure how that was possible since he hadn't eaten breakfast. Slowing down, he finally reached his destination. His hand rested on the cold, metal knob. He wasn't sure what he expected to be able to open. Only one door remained on its hinges with snow blown in the doorway.

_God my head hurts,_ he thought as he rested his head against the wooden door panel. He wrenched himself from the unexpected touch of a hand on his shoulder.

He really wanted to do this alone. He pushed the door against the snow, allowing weak shafts of sunlight to illuminate the hallway, sending long shadows ahead of him.

The smell of his own waste came back to assault his senses nearly overwhelming him. Every step felt heavy, as if he were locked inside a cybersuit. Half way down the hall, he felt the hand back on his shoulder.

"Doc, you don't have to do this. "

He pulled away, ignoring the voice. He kept walking past the empty cells - past his empty cell until he reached the next to the last room on the right at the south end of the long, cold hall. G'Na had tried to help him remember the faces in this room. He dreamt of this room. He'd curled into a ball and screamed because of this room. When he no longer could use his voice, he screamed inside his mind. He'd nearly died because of this room.

The room swirled, and tilted, making it difficult to get to the centre. He could smell blood: his blood.

The table still sat in the middle of the room, its manacles still attached.

His brain hurt.

He picked up a manacle; fingering the spots of dried blood that were still there.

That was his dried blood.

They were laughing. She was laughing.

He remembered; he remembered everything.

The men were here; their faces twisted in laughter. They were touching him, hurting him, plunging themselves deep inside him: making him do disgusting things.

Months of forgotten and deeply buried rage bubbled up from the depths of his soul. His hands gripped the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His hands sent it flying into a wall, splintering it into chunks of useless wood.

He wasn't aware that his hands grabbed a table leg, or that he pounded the remains into nothingness. He couldn't feel the pain when the metal hit him as he swung the table or the cuts caused by the bits of flying wood. He couldn't feel Jack's arms holding him as he dropped to his knees. He couldn't feel Jack rocking him, as he screamed his hatred. He screamed, and cursed until his voice was hoarse. Jack held him, rocking back and forth, until his sobs gave way to whimpers, finally to shuddering breaths, slowly coming to a stop. The quiet echoed in his ears.

" It's over, Doc. It truly is finally over. " Jack kissed the top oh his head. " You will always remember, but now, it will never own you. "

"Fish fingers and custard," the Doctor finally snuffled.

"Yeah, Fish fingers and custard. "

When he could stand, the Doctor straightened his bow tie, scrubbed his hands against his face and pushed his hair back out of his eyes.

"How do I look, Jack ?"

Jack chuckled. " You look good, Doc. "

"Let's blow this pop stand," the Doctor said as he gave his friend a true smile.

Ten minutes later, he stood on the knoll wrapped in the arms of the people that he loved. The other victims and their families clustered around them. Nervous chatter and relieved laughter rumbled through the little group. After a long moment, he glanced at H'Tarle and nodded. K'Nar slipped her hand into his and with everyone watching, he took the detonator. With her thumb under his, they pushed the button together.

The noise was deafening. For just a tick nothing happened. And then the compound imploded; each layer dropping down as a cloud of dust rose up and then settled back to the ground, leaving the snow filthy black.

A whoop of joy and clapping rose from the crowd of survivors and their families. It was over; finally and completely over - for them and the town.

Above it all, the sound of off-key singing started; tentatively at first then much bolder. The Doctor, his voice clear and strong, was singing.

_Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound. Once I was lost, but now I am found_


	45. Chapter 45 Epilogue

For two weeks after the demolition, filth, blackness and the charred remains of the compound marred the landscape. Then - it started to snow. Staring out of his office window, H'Tarle wondered how bad this new storm that was coming down out of the mountains would be. The right amount kept the idiots home; too much snow and the off-worlders suffered from something called cabin fever. It was a term the humans introduced into the vocabulary. The word described a condition unknown to Reguluns. At least the off-worlders added something besides prisoners to the local culture. He swallowed down his neshema and thanked the Gods that at least his overcrowded cells were empty. Well - mostly empty.

In the days since the trial, most of the prisoners were shipped off-world to Tbril or to the Dazif centre. The few guards who were found innocent were given the choice to leave the planet or find gainful employment elsewhere; most left. The three rapists that now resided at the Provincial government's holding prison were awaiting their execution. The fact that NaV0 managed to escape execution was a disappointment. H'tarle didn't understand that decision at all. That the request came from the Doctor made less sense. Why did the man want that piece of human trash saved? The stories he'd always heard painted a far different picture of the strange man that he met. He took another swallow of the hot drink and watched a fat snowflake land against the window pane. The landscape was turning clean almost by the minute.

H'tarle thought of her victims. He knew that the Doctor had not forgot about their suffering. He personally watched over and assisted in their relocation after the trial. Their suffering had a huge impact on the citizens of Borel which certainly helped keep the crime rate down. Of course, he thought, the new anti-crime program was proving effective. Pictures of NaV0, her cohorts and that bombed out compound were posted all over the H'rau district in stark warning to any future criminal enterprise. The powerful message went out, and it was heeded by both residents and newcomers alike. A good portion of the alien criminals that inhabited the H'rau district took the hint to stay out of Borel and fled for less oppressive surroundings. Now there was a word H'Tarle liked - o-ppress-ive. There was a lyrical quality to that word.

There were still a few drunks and the one idiot who thought he could rob the Mayor's house. In general, though, life was... boring. H'Tarle loved it. He turned away from the window, pulled his desk drawer open and reached for his hidden bottle. While he poured a healthy slug into the neshema, he wondered just how long it would take for the snow to wipe the filth away from what remained of that damnable compound. H'tarle finished his drink, gave up his attempt at philosophy and decided to head for home. C'Kuk would let him know if anything came up. The man smiled as he pulled on his heavy cape for the flight home. The girl was turning out to be one hell of an officer.

o0o

By morning, the town's inhabitants woke to an all-out blizzard that lasted for days. When it finally wound down, Borel settled in for a brutal winter. The town spent the rest of the winter snowbound. For the law, it was a blessing. T he residents expended their energy just getting to work, leaving little time to get into trouble. Most of their calls were related to people sick of each other getting into fights. They kept the businesses and the schools open, much to the dislike of kids. The non-native children sloshed their way through the snow while their Regulun counterparts took to the sky to use their wings. As the winter progressed three interesting things happened at the Justice Centre. One, C'Kuk finally passed her weapons exam, earning herself a promotion; two, H'Tarle went on a date, and third - well... The third thing actually happened twice. A strange blue box appeared outside the government buildings. It went unnoticed by everyone but the government and barely left an imprint in the snow when it disappeared.

Spring came a bit late, but finally the bitter cold of winter receded; replaced by the first warm days the season. It wasn't long before the locals complained of the muddy mess left behind by the melting snow. It was still weeks before the ground thawed, and then dried out enough for the ground to be worked. The late spring delayed the planting season, slowed street repairs, and made improvements to the town's park system difficult.

Eventually, by the end of spring, the ground was ready to work, and the town began a brand new project. Something new was coming, something a bit different. Tall, solid fences went up around the site of the old compound. A sky cover protected the site from intentional or unintentional spying. For days, pedestrians could hear the sound of heavy equipment clearing away the rubble. After all the noise, the quiet that followed brought relief.

At the end of each day, H'Tarle went down to the site to check on the project's progress. For most of the winter, he continued to have nightmares over the things the evidence team found at this place. Now, watching the mess clear away, he found a sense of peace. Halfway through the project, the nightmares stopped. Needril and C'Kuk noted their boss was drinking less. When the project was close to being finished, H'Tarle stunned everyone including his daughter by becoming betrothed. His daughter and his men were stunned.

"You went on one date!" C'Kuk fussed.

"One date that you know about," he laughed, "I don't tell you everything that I do, you know."

The first of summer came ; trees in full bloom their deep red leaves were fresh with new life. The grass smelt sweet and clean. The suns sat high in the sky. The town bustled with life. Its residents seemed to forget what had happened at the site. Late one night, the strange blue box appeared inside the old compound again. For an hour, lights bounced off the covers and shined through the fencing. When the lights went out, the strange blue box disappeared leaving behind fodder for stories for years to come.

The next day, under a brilliant, clear sky, the temperature was delightfully warm. The sky cover was removed from the project, and a hovercraft began patrolling the airspace. A crowd gathered, watching the politicians and local celebrities arrive. A small group of people arrived under tight guard. Escorted to a place of honour, they sat behind nine empty chairs. In the midst of the little group, one chair remained empty.

H'Tarle and the Governor of the province stood with their special visitors honoured just to be in their presence. The visitors smiled through speeches, knowing that this was their day. Their help made this day happen, and they came to celebrate. This day was their reward.

Finally, the barriers came down, and Borel became home to something new.

Something fresh and clean now stood where filth, crushed concrete and the memory of death had lain buried all winter. Open to all the citizens of Borel, especially its children.

The town of Borel had a brand new park. It's first memorial park

A freshly planted sapling stood at its very centre. Delicate little branches curved down, swaying in the breeze, sounding like wind chimes. Its first blue blooms wafted a sweet, fruity fragrance through the air. At least the Reguluns thought it was fruity. To humans, the scent reminded them of vanilla. The Vshak thought it like fresh linen blowing in the breeze on a sunny day. A marble bench curved around the trunk for anyone wishing to meditate or sit to listen to its branches sings.

Like an arrow to its heart, a simple, concrete path began at the entrance of the park and led to the inner sanctum. Eighteen rose bushes lined the path like little soldiers; sixteen were blood red. The two that guarded the entrance of the inner sanctum were pure white. The people of Borel loved the unknown plant. The beautiful, sweet, smelling flowers brought smiles to the faces of anyone entering. The tiny buds started life so tightly closed, only to open to a multi-layered delicate flower. It was like the unfolding of one's soul.

The plants came 30,000 light years away, and as with the plants, the Reguluns had never heard of their planet of origin. They were a gift from the people of the tiny town of Elizabeth, Kentucky. The people there thought the bushes had gone to Eastern Europe. They would never have believed that they went to an entirely different world.

Maybe someday they would.

An intricately planted maze surrounded the garden beds that made up the main sanctum. Visitors could, if they wanted, wander through it for hours before entering the gardens. Flower beds were designed to be seen from above as well as those who were strolling through. In all, twenty beds were designed to represent the words: life,love and joy in the languages of Regulus IV and of all NaV0 ' s victims. At the apex of the sanctum, lay two tiny gardens. Seen best from above both gardens were designed as a series of concentric circles. They represented an ancient language no one could translate. At the first garden, a little sign read - Hope. The second garden's symbols didn't have a sign, but if it could be read, visitors would see two simple words: Hello Sweetie.

Here, not far from the little tree , people who came to stroll, think, or just to dream would find a stone pillar topped by a dancing child. Carved out of gray stone, the child had large eyes, and spikey hair. She held her arms out in joy. At the foot of the statue, a bed of tiny purple flowers called asch'ta grew. The flowers produced a scent that no matter how dark a person's mood; they smiled.

The child enshrined in the statue watched her world, and laughed.

In the middle of the pillar, bonded to its base, was a bronze plaque engraved by a sonic blaster and secured by a sonic screwdriver .

The plaque read in 20 languages.

JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED WHEN THOSE

WHO ARE NOT INJURED BY CRIME

FEEL AS INDIGNANT AS THOSE

WHO ARE

SOLON 638 BC- 558 BC

Earth Philosopher

o0o

June 2015

A heat wave settled in early over the western half of Kentucky, making early summer feel more like August. Despite the heat, the Freeman lake proved to be the ideal location for a combination family reunion and birthday party. Nan Carson sat at the picnic table watching the crowd of people around her. Sarah was cuddling Thete and River's babies. Annie's two were running circles around the nanny. Her own grandchildren were off playing basket ball. She sipped her ice tea and wondered just when her life had become so full. This was her birthday party, her 64th, and she felt younger than she had in years. Only a few years ago, she thought that she had nothing left but two friends and the café. Her husband and youngest son were dead; her other two children had moved to the other side of the country, leaving her alone with an ancient dog. And then, out of nowhere the universe gave her back a son and entirely new and wonderful family, albeit a bit of a weird one. She didn't care about the weirdness; she loved them whole-heartedly. She closed her eyes against the bright sun and leaned back against the hard edge of the table lost in the memories of all the changes in the last four years of her life.

The sudden loss of the sun against her face brought a smile. "You have three seconds to get out of the way of my suntan."

"All that sun is very bad for your skin," a soft male British accent responded.

"Thete, I am telling you just once to move."

"Yes, Mum." The Doctor dropped down next to her, leaned back against the table and crossed his legs. "Happy Birthday, Nan."

"Thank you, Cowboy." Nan opened her eyes to study the face of the young man next to her. The very sight of him so happy was a birthday present in itself.

"I'm taking Rom for a walk at the edge of the lake. Wanna come?" he asked.

"No, I'll watch." She patted his leg. "I have a question that I have wanted to ask for six months."

"What?"

"Why Roman and Crystal Jessica?"

"Roman is for Rory and Crystal Jessica is for the TARDIS and Amy. I gave all the other available names to Sam in one go. Course, I'm not saying what we gave them for names at their naming ceremony," he chuckled.

"Are you finally, truly happy, Thete?" Nan asked with genuine concern in her voice.

"Do you remember the day that I told you who and what I really was?" he asked apparently ignoring her question.

"Considering that I thought you were around the bend, and over the edge, yes, I think I remember." She laughed at him.

"That day, I was so sure that I would lose you and Hank and Sarah and everything that I had here. You pulled my head down, kissed my forehead and said, be happy - Doctor. It is the only time that any of you ever called me Doctor. I am happy, Nan. And grateful beyond words. Now," he said as he stood up and kissed her forehead, "think I'll take Rom for that walk."

The Doctor sidled up to River, kissed the top of her head and retrieved Rom from Sarah with a wink. "I'm just going to stroll around the lake until it's time for fish and chips."

"Yeah, well make sure that nothing comes up from the lake to upset my son," she teased as she stroked the side of his face.

"Uncle Thete?" The Doctor looked over at the slightly dirty five-year-old girl now standing by Nan She twirled a hat as she glared at him with a very cross expression.

"Yes Emily, Mummy's on her way."

"You can't take Rom out by the lake," the little girl ordered.

"Why not?" he answered seriously ignoring the collective chuckle of the adults. Emily was as beautiful as her mother but was growing into quite the little boss.

"You don't have his hat," she said firmly.

"Ah, yes. His hat. Where is Sam, did you make sure he has a hat?" The Doctor tried to sound serious. He looked at Nan and Sarah as he struggled to keep a straight face. They both kept straight faces.

"Of course he has his hat. Nanny Jane gets very cross if we don't wear our hats."

"Right, where is he?"

"Nanny Jane took him to the necessary."

"The necessary, hey. Well, when he gets back, join me for my walk alright." The Doctor chuckled as he leaned over to kiss the little girl and retrieve the hat. He turned to wave Rom's hand at his Nans and Mum and then headed for the beach.

Few paid attention as he walked around the lakeshore, making quacking sounds at the ducks to the delight of his son. It was his second walk. The first round belonged to C.J. The sand felt just as great squished up between his toes the second time around. As he walked, he kept a running commentary going for the baby in his arms.

"I now, it is different from life in the TARDIS. But it's wonderful; this old planet. We have so much here. Can you see all those folks over there, Rom? That's our family," he said proudly, and then waited as the baby finished cooing. "Oh yes," the Doctor answered, "you've got all kinds of adopted cousins. See that little girl with the black hair, that's your cousin Emily. Her mum is Auntie Ann. No, you haven't met her, but she'll be here soon and then you and C.J. will get lots more cuddles. That little boy toddling along with Emily is Sam; he's your adopted cousin too. His mum lives a long way from here, but that's OK because he has Auntie Ann and Emily." He shifted the six month old a bit and helped him wave again. The people gathered around four picnic tables all waved back. Rom giggled in his Dad's arms. "See your Mum sitting up there. Your Mum is brilliant. No, she isn't getting rid of your sister. " He listened to the baby coo back.

"Yes, I know that your sister is a pain, and she takes your dummy. She's your sister. That's what they do, but - but she will always be there for you even when your Mum and I aren't." Thete kissed the baby's cheek. "Now those other two very brilliant ladies ... they are your adopted nans. You and your sister are very lucky. You have three Nans. Well, to be honest, you have two nans and a gran. Saying Nana Nan just is - well - wrong."

Every few feet the Doctor stopped to point out the people gathered around four picnic tables. The baby giggled when his Dad helped him wave at the people. He moved slowly around the edge back to where two black men and a small boy were casting fishing lines out into the lake. "Now you see those men, that's your Uncle Erik and your adopted granddad. No, Uncle Erik isn't like Uncle Jack; he's a solicitor." The little boy beamed with delight. "Now that handsome young man is your cousin, Little Hank, some day he'll teach you how to fish." The Doctor shifted the baby again and laughed at the excited boy standing next to Hank and Erik.

The Doctor chuckled again when the child's fishing line began to bob up and down. " Uncle Thete, look what I did. " He jumped up and down with his trophy. "I caught a fish. Look Daddy, Granpa, a fish. "

Eric laughed as he helped his son unhook his fish. " Good job, son. Thete, you better give that boy back to one his Grandmas. Grab a pole and join us. "

The Doctor nodded and headed back up the bank to join the women of his life. Back at the picnic table, he handed his son back to Sarah and then kissed the top of her head. He turned back to River for a proper kiss as he ran a gentle hand across his daughter's mass of dark curls. "I love you," he whispered to River as he grabbed a pole.

"Remember that when you clean those fish. I'm an archeology professor, not a chef." She laughed back at him.

"Come along, kids," he called to Emily and Sam as he headed back to Hank and Eric. He bumped shoulders with Hank as he sent the fishing line sailing out. The water rippled as the hook first hit the surface and then sank. For just a moment, the world around him grew silent. He stopped to listen as he glanced around at the lake and a contented smile crossed his face. He watched Little Hank join Emily and Sam in a game of chase, squealing as they ran and heard Erik teasing Hank. The sights and sounds of life surrounded him. Almost everyone that he loved was on this beach. He smiled at the thought of Amy, Rory and Jack safely living their lives in London and Cardiff. At peace with himself and the universe, he turned back to the lake to do something that he had learned to truly enjoy.

The Doctor went fishing.


End file.
